Faith without works is dead! —James 1.27
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My first best friend was Jewish. He died last month. May his memory be blessed.
Marvin’s obituary described him as a “philanthropic rebbe”—one who viewed charity not merely as a donation but as a pursuit of tikkun olam. That’s Hebrew for “repairing the world.” And to think he might not have pursued tikkun olam if I’d had my way with him.
I once tried to get Marvin to convert to Christianity. I was a precocious foot soldier for Jesus at the time.
All you have to do, my friend, is confess that Jesus is the true Messiah and let him be your lord and savior. Then you will go to heaven when you die, and we’ll be friends up there for eternity. You don’t even have to be good. You just need to be saved. Good works won’t save us; only faith will. It’s that easy.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor executed by the Nazis for his resistance to Jewish deportations, called that silly idea “cheap grace”—a polite way of saying, “bullshit.”
In that spirit Marvin politely declined my invitation. As it turns out, he knew long before I ever did that there are only two kinds of religion: The religion of being right and the religion of being kind.
Marvin was kind. He was also proud to be Jewish. (His parents were Holocaust survivors.) I never tried that nonsense on him again.
Later, I nearly converted to Judaism because I couldn’t figure out what Christianity added to Judaism other than the notion that the sins of the world could not be forgiven unless God’s son was crucified.
I realized I could live without that.
Judaism taught love of neighbor (and alien!)—along with loving kindness, doing justice, walking humbly—at least a thousand years before Jesus was born.
So why be Christian?
Well, why not? The way of Jesus is the way of compassion. Jesus practiced loving-kindness. Nevermind the creeds.
Anyway, becoming Jewish is a bit like becoming Amish. You more or less have to be born into it to get it right.
So I stayed Christian. You know, bloom where you’re planted.
As it turns out, the world needs a lot of repairing. We need all hands on deck. Religious or not. Spiritual or not. Woke or not. Only good work, and lots of it, will save us.
Tikkun olam.
What a marvelous tribute! Marvin’s pursuit of “repairing the world” was noble and could be felt and seen by everyone he touched. Being kind is more vital than being right. After all, each of us, if truth be told, is fighting a hard battle. Gandhi asserted, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” That seems to sum up your dear friend’s life and legacy.
Good one, Randy. I have a slightly more sophisticated way of describing the religion of kindness, but will save that for a beer sometime. Thanks for remembering your friend, again. Best to you.
“Nevermind the creeds.”
Amen!
Wr all think too much of religion and not enough time developing a real spirituality. Of course, any religion is a poor substitute to living in love with our neighbors. The most religious amongst us are those who argue about God. My north stars are Jesus, Dr. King and Dolores Huerta.
namaste, Randy
Charity, Compassion, and Kindness. The better sides of human nature. Do they come from feeling a deep connection with God (Spirit) or with other members of the Passing Parade (our fellow humans). I am not sure these days. I am reminded of the Buddhist admonition: Right thinking, right action. Like many”better angel” attributes, kindness is a difficult thing to cultivate and honestly extend to others without expectation of a return. Oh, to be like children who exude joy as a natural attribute, it would it be a miracle for us to exude kindness. Kindness in our thoughts and deeds; In the way we speak to and of others (children, spouses, friends, and strangers) and in our interactions with the world. Paraphrasing one of your regular admonitions Randy, “This world can be a dark and dangerous place and we need each other to get through it.” I am not sure where or why we respond in kindness once the concept meets this complex world. I assume it is out of our hands and part of the Great Mystery of Things. Like many better attributes, it is something that can be cultivated and nurtured so that it can grow and blossom. So be kind in your thoughts and speech, smile at strangers in the street, hold the door open for someone at the supermarket, kindly give a donation to the homeless veteran at the traffic light, support a just cause. Using the words of a favorite country song, Marvin was an angel, the kind without wings, the kind of people this world could use a lot more of. Lastly, a line from one of my own songs, “Love don’t come easy.” It’s a lesson that we almost learn but it’s one that is so hard to understand, how we all must learn to hold in our hearts, what we cannot hold in our hands.’ Thank you Randy for this loving tribute and for the continued lessons on life and religion.
Locheim, Randy. I too grew up with lots of Jewish friends. Even though my family was Presbyterian, we had a menorah and other symbols of the Hebrew faith. There was even a Hebrew Men’s Athletic Club which we used (but I liked the YMCA better., better pool} Harry Truman was just another merchant, a haberdasher, and his business partner was Jewish. Truman was the first president to recognize Israel as a nation even tho he occasionally showed the traditional prejudical comments of the time.
You bring back good memories. Locheim.
Amen brother
Beautiful tribute
Repairing the world… one small action at a time… small acts of kindness add up when millions & millions of people of all faiths step up. All religions teach the golden rule. And Christianity is deeply rooted in the Jewish faith & teachings… so let us repair the world – together… a rainbow of folks, with the faith & promise of spirit’s support & guidance. Thank you Randy, for this important story & lesson.🙏
No grace is cheap, though I understand the term. I bet the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him in his Kingdom was thankful for instant grace. Many people need grace but don’t know where to find it or if it can exist for them at all. There are people who take advantage of the grace given to them, but I think they are outnumbered by the multitudes who need grace and have little hope of it. In this nation and world, we all need to give and receive grace, and if able, do the work that is grace to many, whether in giving supplies, support, rides, listening, forgiving, or shelter.
Wise counsel