Courtesy of JewishSacredAging.com

By all rights, this should be a nice little article on the upcoming festivals of Passover and Easter. After all, by the time this goes up on the site, Passover will have begun and Easter will be right around the corner. So, why not just do an easy column on the linkages between the festivals and the call for love and peace and understanding? (Well, maybe that’s what this piece is anyway!)

I stayed up late last night to watch history. I have a thing for trying to watch events that, for my grandchildren, will be part of their schoolwork. God knows our generation has seen its fill of historical events. So, I watched the “debate” and vote on health care reform. And today, I caught as much postgame reporting as I could. I am left with a sense of sadness and some fear. I am not sad that the vote passed. I am in favor of universal health care for all.

No, I was sad to see the vitriol and hate rhetoric that spewed from so many of our “lawmakers.” Even sadder, and really more frightening, was some of the verbiage disgorged from the mouths of some talk show hosts. It seems we have lost the ability to dialogue. It seems we have lost the ability for civility. Institutions that used to have a sense of respect have been dragged down, and the simple respect of one person for another is, sadly, slipping away. I am sure sociologists and experts can analyze and discuss the why and wherefores of these issues, but I cannot help but remember that song from South Pacific that reminds us “you have to be taught to hate.”

People will not always agree. That is a given. This is especially true when power and politics are involved (and make no mistake that is the underlying issue for so much of what we hear). Points of view will always color how people express themselves, but I just cannot help but feel we have sunk to a level unknown in this country for years, or ever.

You have to wonder how young people who witness the smears and shouts feel about all of this. You cannot help but wonder how this is being assimilated into their psyches. If House and Senate members and talk show celebrities can violate the basic rules of human interaction, respect for personal dignity, and common civility—and even be celebrated for it—well, then why should a young person do any different? I wonder how much those who shout the loudest and are the most personal ever think of how those actions impact a young person.

Maybe it is time for a movement to arise that celebrates civility, dignity, and respect. Reasonable people, acting reasonably, may disagree. The art of conversation, discussion, and compromise has always been taught in homes and schools as part of how a civilized society operates and gets things done. Have we started to fray at the edges of our own society? Is disrespect for others a first step in the gradual decline of our society? One can only hope not.

So, maybe this really is about Passover and Easter. These observances speak about courage, faith, sacrifice, and community. They speak about hope and about being in relationship with a higher power, a power that denies the validity of self-worship.

Here is a simple request: As you gather around the Seder table or Easter supper, remember that you are in the company of others who, like yourself, should reflect the image of God. Therefore, how you treat them, speak to them, and interact with them ultimately reflects your own relationship with yourself and with your God. And, remember, the kids are watching and listening and learning.

Shalom.