Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Silence: A Prayer for Orlando

Silence: A Prayer
For Orlando
By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman


I thought today might be easier and less painful, and in a sense it is.  Sunday, after the horrific shootings in Orlando I was almost too numb.  Yesterday was a day of incredible sadness for me--as it was for the rest of the nation.  I tried to write a few words yesterday but found that I simply couldn't. It was more than the horror--it was the pain, the sorrow, the overall sadness that overwhelmed me throughout the day.  

Today I feel something different again:  I feel an emptiness.

I sat outside for a half hour, trying to enjoy some sun and warmth--and found that I couldn't.  It was too quiet.  As though the world itself was silent. I think it is.  It isn't only the fifty voices that were silenced in horror and terror.  It's the silence one feels in the aftermath, when no words can be found.  Even Shakespeare noted this: "The rest is silence," he wrote at the end of Hamlet's heartbreaking speech before he dies.

My heart is full of sadness for the victims and their families; for the survivors, for the friends and lovers, for the GLBTQ community, for the Hispanic-American community.  I can't even bring myself to think of the horror they went through and what the survivors are feeling at this moment. I would like to offer a prayer, but I only have one prayer at the moment:  For strength.  Strength to endure, to continue, to be there for one another, to overcome this incredible sadness.

I know we will, but I can't imagine the road that will lead us there.  

I know politicians and others have been busy pointing fingers at one another, at this organization or another.  I feel it's too early, I won't even try.  There will be plenty of time later.  

Sadness has its own boundaries, within which we must remain silent.  We must respect that and just offer our condolences, support and love to those who hurt.  I hope all of you will be able to find a moment there to just stop whatever you are doing to think about the great loss suffered by so many people--indeed by our whole nation. Luckily, for some of us the pain dissipates after a while, and then it becomes time to move forward, pain and all. Then we will be able to start thinking about why it all happened and what we can do to end the hatred, end the violence, end the terror.

The world is silent today.  I offer my silence as a prayer for love, acceptance and dignity for the entire world.  Please let it be so.


© 2016 by Boaz D. Heilman

2 comments:

  1. Very well said. I look forward in the days to come if you can come up with son political solutions to move,forward and prevent these events from reoccurring. They are,happening all too frequently just about to every peace loving,group of Americans. Gays, Jews, Moslems, blacks and even caucassions. Mo one is,immune to this gun violence. When I wrote"gun violence" I think you know my solutions but yours may be different and as our rabbi o will respect your opinions.

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    1. Safety and security go hand in hand. We in America--and other countries--need to learn from Israel wrt having your backpacks, etc. inspected. Every public gathering should be screened. Problem is, even then it's impossible to stop every attack. Getting at the root reasons, staying alert and thinking about security means a lot of things short of blocking out whole groups of people. However, we may have to give up some of our traditional rights that we consider "God given" but are actually only conditional, dependent on the situation.

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