Singing a Common Song

September 25, 2009
When I went to fill up the gas tank in my very thirsty (yet economical!) Toyota Matrix last night, the last thing I expected was a political discussion with the man behind the counter at the Shell station. Yet, that is just what I got, and it was intriguing. As this man looked at the cover of his copy of USA Today, he was going on about Muammar al-Gaddafi’s address to the United Nations, saying that it was a bitter rehashing of the past that included not even a glimmer of hope for a change of heart or policy. I remarked that the same could be said of Mahmoud Ahmedinijad. Both of those leaders seem to constantly need to reiterate their power and defiance. Contrast their declarations to the coordinated announcement by President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the G20 conference in Pittsburgh this morning. They presented a firm and united call for full disclosure of the progress and purposes of the Iranian nuclear development program, rules by which other nations must abide. There is still a desire for discussion and engagement with Iran in that united front, but we are left to wonder how soon it will materialize.
There are times when we need to move beyond narrow concerns to a more global perspective. In the Torah reading for this week in Deuteronomy Chapter 32, Moses expressed his vision for the people in the form of a song. The content of the “Song of Moses” focused on the need for the people to follow God’s direction (which they didn’t at times) and to realize that respect for divine teachings and acknowledging God’s unity and the oneness of humanity must be central to their lives in a way that can bring all people closer together.
There were many songs that were sung at the United Nations this week, and not all of them in harmony. May the dissonance that still persists among the nations give way to a more melodious chorus of voices from around the world, as we realize that, more than ever, we are all in this together and there is still a chance for more understanding and, perhaps, peace.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Larry