It feels quite lonely to be a Jew these days. Or maybe extra lonely to be a Jew on a college campus.
Each day, I think something new, an attempt to wrap my head around a world that is too vast and challenging to be bottled up in any succinct thought. I am angry – at a world where it seems critical thinking is in short supply. I am scared – that somedays, my heart is hardening. I am bitter – that my students have to constantly qualify their opinions, proving to others that their souls are always in the right place. I am sad – for what the future might hold.
Each day seems to have the same unpredictable rhythm. Whatever I think will zig is likely to zag. A student I’ve never met or a student I know well will appear at my door, sharing a story of frustration or loneliness or concern. They ask me what to do; a good day is when I have a tangible answer. Most days, I feel all I can give them is a hug and open ear.
But one thing has been predictable and it is the thing that I hold onto. The pauses.
Last week, our students and staff engaged in discussion about how to keep our focus where our hearts are – on freeing the hostages. They were interested in raising awareness, not raising the campus temperature. So slowly, diligently, they put the faces of those missing in our front window. Children and grandparents and beloved beings, achingly missed, looking out upon the street corner. I was moved, I was worried, I was contemplating how long we’ll stare upon their faces from the window. I thought many things.
But what I didn’t expect was how moved I’d be to not watch their faces, but to watch the people watching them. People of all backgrounds, all ages, just pause. Some stay for a few moments and some slow their cadence so slightly that you could almost miss it. But I see it – a glimpse of humanity, a prayer, a hope, and a wish for a better world to come. Maybe we aren’t all screaming at each other on social media after all?
Might we all pause a little more? Let’s take a deep breath, worry about the pain of others, recognize the complexity of our world, think about what is within our control and what is not. There’s great power in the pause.
adena the coffee queen 