I turn to Martin Buber when I want inspiration, a kick in my brain which causes deep reflection. Such is today, a day requiring inspiration. My flaming sore throat of two days ago finally settled into my upper chest with a cough and a soggy nose leaking thin mucous. The saving grace is that nothing coming out is green, or even the faintest yellow, thus whatever this “cold”, upper respiratory event is, it is not and hopefully will not become severe.
But cause enough for a disruption of the end of year gaiety and plans. Not to mention, dare I mention, the horror, the tragedy of the pre-holiday killing of 26 in Newtown, Connecticut, and the latest news of the ambush set to kill two firefighters in Webster, New York. The destruction wrought by two crazed men.
So I turn to Martin Buber, who always lifts my spirit, causes me to reflect deeply, stirs my soul to tears, and affords me simple joy and peace.
His essays on Hasidim, especially touch me. In these essays, attempting to explain the transcendent joy that faith can produce, Buber seems to be channeling the Baal Shem Tov.
Here are a few short quotes of Buber’s which brought me JOY on this three very wet handkerchief morning:
“Hasidism sets the simple truth that the wretchedness of our world is grounded in its resistance to the entrance of the holy into lived life.”
“…our relations to things and beings form the marrow of our existence….”
“The Hasidic teaching of the holy engagement with all existing beings opposes this corrosion [this wretchedness]….”
Clearly, the madmen in our world do not seek to engage with the Holy, the Divine. Their lack of engagement causes pain for the rest of us.
I continue to seek the Holy in everyday, simple, repetitive acts, even this non-stop blowing my nose.