Tag Archive for "freedom" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘freedom’

Against Human Trafficking

Posted on: January 6th, 2011 by tobendlight

Human trafficking is a crime against humanity that still flourishes. This prayer uses the broadest definition of human trafficking: illegal trade of humans for sexual exploitation, forced labor or modern-day slavery. The sex trade is the key driver of trafficking. This prayer is appropriate for the Passover Seder and appears in my book, Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings. To listen, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Addendum, October 14, 2015: The FBI announced that 149 underage trafficking victims were recovered and 153 pimps were arrested in a nationwide human trafficking operation conducted throughout the United States last week. Here’s a link to the FBI press release. Here are eight facts about the sex trade.

Against Human Trafficking
G-d of the prisoner,
G-d of the slave and the captive,
The voice of suffering echoes across the land.
Lonely weeping in a night that never ends.
Our brothers
Are sold like coal
To be burned and discarded,
Traded like empty boxcars,
To haul unbearable loads of
Cruelty and degradation.
Our sisters
Are kidnapped and conned,
Used like empty vessels,
Their bodies abused and violated,
Their hearts and souls assaulted.

Source of comfort,
Rock of love and truth,
You call upon us to stand
In the name of justice and freedom:
To witness against human life
Treated as chattel,
To fight those who
Trade human beings as property,
To muster our power and energy
Against this force of evil.

Bless those who dedicate their lives to human rescue.
Grant them the fortitude to battle in the name
Of the unknown, the unseen,
Those who have been forgotten.
May the work of their hands never falter
Nor despair deter them from their holy calling.

Bless those in human bondage with hope and courage.
Grant them the strength and fortitude
To face the shames and tyrannies forced upon them.
Hasten their release.
Grant them lives of health and prosperity,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You, G-d of All Being,
Who summons us to liberate the oppressed.

Postscript: Other prayers in this series include “Against Poverty” and “Against Tyranny.” In January, 2011, this prayer was used by the ATZUM Task Force on Human Trafficking http://www.tfht.org/. TFHT was headed to Israel to lobby for criminalizing the act of buying sex. The demand for paid sex fuels the crime of human trafficking. As part of the mission send off, Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor of Congregation Da’at Elohim in New York City read it at Friday night services. Peggy Sakow and other members of the Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom, Montreal, Committee Against Human Trafficking and Interfaith Coalition were profoundly generous in their guidance and support of crafting this prayer. Three other social justice prayers appear in Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings, including “Against Poverty.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Source: Children and the Law Blog of the Southwest Juvenile Defender Center

Morning Blessings

Posted on: January 3rd, 2011 by tobendlight

The Jewish morning service begins with Birkot Haschachar, the morning blessings. It includes a simple-but-profound set of one-line prayers called the N’sim B’chol Yom. Here’s a modern supplement — or alternative — to these blessings. It’s written as four sets of three related blessings, acknowledging G-d for: i) creation (“wonder,” “splendor,” “glory”); ii) the flow of Divine gifts (“source,” “well,” “fountain”); iii) daily renewal (“…who provides…”); and iv) the call to tikkun olam, healing the world (“…who delights in…”). This piece appears in This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings from CCAR Press.

Morning Blessings
Blessed are You, Adonai Our G-d, Sovereign of the universe…
…Who created a world of luminous wonder.
…Who created a world of radiant splendor.
…Who created a world of shimmering glory.
…Source of life and health.
…Well of joy and love.
…Fountain of forgiveness and hope.
…Who provides rest and renewal.
…Who provides strength and fortitude.
…Who provides wisdom and understanding.
…Who delights in prayer.
…Who delights in charity.
…Who delights in service.

Blessed are You, Adonai Our G-d, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of this new day, Source of sustenance, bless the works of my hands so that I become a source of holiness and healing.

Postscript: Please check out: “Quick Meditation for Today,” “Quick Meditation at Noon,” “Your Name: Quick Prayer at Dusk” and “Quick Meditation at Night.” Related prayers include “Modeh Ani” and “Quick Prayer on Waking.”

Photo Source: Alden Solovy

My Battle

Posted on: October 12th, 2010 by tobendlight

This meditation out came of my work as part of the ManKind Project. It’s a prayer/poem for men about reclaiming the sacred masculine, that deep well of strength, pride and energy in all men that our culture teaches us to suppress. The third stanza suggests naming your Higher Power. Several suggestions appear in [brackets]. Feel free to choose one of the suggestions, use a name for G-d that’s not shown here or to skip the line entirely.

Please listen along as you read. (Click on the triangle in the slider bar below. The entire text follows.)

My Battle
Today I go into battle.
It’s the battle for my heart.
Who am I before G-d?
Who am I before humanity?
Who’s that man in the mirror?
He’s not an opponent,
He’s my challenger.
He’s not a judge,
He’s my guide.
He’s not a boy,
He’s a man.

Today I go into battle,
It’s the battle for my soul.
What is my life?
What is my purpose?
Who will I be, today?
What choices will I make?
To hide from fear or face it?
To bury my shame or embrace it?
To deny my anger or use its power to build and create?
To deny my grief or use its power to heal and bless?

Today I go into battle,
I do not go alone.
I take my brothers as my companions,
The patriarchs as my guides,
And the [Fear of Isaac][the Rock of Jacob]
[the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob]
[Father Sky][the Ancient Spirit]
As my Source and Shelter.
I take honesty as my sword
And truth as my shield.
I take love as my creed
And integrity as my code.
Mystery and wonder will open the gates of tomorrow.

Today I go into battle.
It’s the battle for my life.

Postscript: Check out these prayers for men: “My Work Remains,” “For the Lost” and “My Heart Knows What It Needs,” as well as a list of other prayers for and about men.

Please use these prayers. See “Share the Prayer!” in the right hand column.

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My Heart Knows What it Needs

Posted on: August 22nd, 2010 by tobendlight

This is another in my series of prayers and meditations for men. With a single tweak it could become gender neutral. That’s not my intent. I speak here to other men about my needs as a man, inviting them to take the risk that our society suppresses, opening our hearts to each other by expressing deep, abiding, brotherly love.

My Heart Knows What it Needs
A quiet place.
A calm, gentle space.
Stillness.
Peace.
My heart knows
What it needs.
To speak freely,
Honestly,
Openly to you my brother.
And to itself.
Safety. Acceptance. Strength.
A moment,
Just a moment
To loose the chains of
Anger and fear,
Guilt and shame,
And open the gates
Of love and surrender.

Come,
Adventure into the night of a thousand stars,
The day of radiant light.
They shine from heart to heart,
Beyond our sight,
Beyond the length of our days.

My heart knows what it needs.
To be heard.
Welcomed.
Accepted.
Protected.
To be given its voice,
And to return its power.
To be nourished.
To be healed.
To be whole.

Postscript: Check out these prayers for men: “My Work Remains” and “For the Lost,” as well as a list of other prayers for and about men.

Please use these prayers. See “Share the Prayer!” in the right hand column.

Life as a Symphony

Posted on: July 5th, 2010 by tobendlight

Compassion gains an element of nobility when developed as a spiritual practice. This prayer is about living a reverent and compassionate life. It’s from a set of prayers including “Life as a Garden,” “Life as a Banquet” and “Life as a Ceremony.” Each calls for the introspection to see life as a glorious gift. They appear in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen while you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Life as a Symphony
G-d of ancient secrets,
Source of life,
Creator of beauty,
Divine light of sacred truth,
My strength has its limits,
My power its purpose,
The energy of life flowing from a secret well beyond my reach
And beyond my imagination.
What I find and what finds me are a mystery and a miracle.

Heavenly hand of radiance and hope,
Author of all being,
Grant me the wisdom and understanding to live my life as a symphony,
A river of majestic music that blesses and sustains life
With holiness and love,
That I repay with kindness and charity.
Give me the passion and the patience to hear the rhythms of Your glorious creation.

You who bring beauty and song,
Guide me with Your power,
Teach me with Your kindness,
Show me the reverence for Your secret truths,
So that I live a life of joy and celebration,
With gratitude for Your creation.

Blessed are You, G-d of salvation and splendor,
Creation sings Your praise.

Postscript: I use this prayer for the 21th day of counting the Omer: “Nobility in Compassion.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: UNCW Randall Library

For the Lost: A Prayer for Men

Posted on: June 22nd, 2010 by tobendlight

Friend or foe? That’s the ancient male warrior/protector concern. Harm or help? Enemy or friend? Safe or unsafe? It’s an antiquated question that needs a new meaning. Today the answer for most men is simple: Yes. Friend and foe. Enemy and friend. Safe and unsafe. Men can be – and typically are – both.

There’s a different way. It requires a new approach and a different question. Who do you want to be when you show up in your life and the lives of others? It is not a casual question.

This prayer appears in the new book Men Pray from SkyLight Paths. It’s for our brothers who are ready to join in the battle for their own hearts, the struggle for their own souls.

Friend or foe? Maybe the question isn’t antiquated after all…if I ask it of myself. In the battle for my own heart, I am both.

For the Lost
Brother.
I am not your rival.
I am not your enemy.
I am not the source of
Your fear and shame,
Your grief and loss,
Your loneliness
Or your nightmares.
I am your fellow.
Lost, at times, like you,
But never alone.
I rise above these struggles toward
A vision of my best self.

This is my work and my prayer:
Come with me as companion and friend,
And I will come with you as a gift of love,
Seeing you,
Holding your life as sacred,
Your journey as an adventure,
Your wisdom as a gift.

Drop your weapon and remove your mask
So that you can see truth.
For, in truth, your mask is neither power nor shelter.
It is thin as air,
Clear as glass,
Transparent, fragile, useless.

I see you, brother.
See me.
See this man.
Your right arm.
Your staff.
Your comfort.

Welcome home.

Postscript: I wrote this prayer the week after completing the January 2010 New Warrior Training Adventure of the ManKind Project put on by the Chicago community, along with another prayer titled “My Work Remains.” I’ve also written several other prayers for and about men.

Photo Source: SkyLight Paths

Israel: A Meditation

Posted on: June 7th, 2010 by tobendlight

The nation of Israel lives! This is my anthem to Israel, to the land, to our history and to our people. This meditation appears in my “Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings.” עם ישראל חי

Israel: A Meditation
Israel,
You are my people.
You are my heart and you are my hope.
We waited together at the mountain
When G-d revealed the Holy Word.
We wandered together through the desert
On the path to sacred soil.
We watched the sea part.
We heard the heavens roar.
We stood at the doorway to freedom,
At the border of a Promised Land.

Israel,
You are my destiny.
You are my joy and you are my truth.
We were victorious at Jericho,
Unyielding at Masada.
We defied empires
For Torah.
We defied kings
For justice and freedom.
We’ve traveled the earth,
Wandered the millennia,
Refugees of the ages,
Homeless and hopeful,
Waiting to return
To native ground.

Israel,
You are my brother in history,
My sister in fortune,
The mother of my courage,
The father of my heart,
The child of my longing,
And the light of generations.
To you I pledge my right arm
And my voice in song.
To you I pledge my soul.
To you I pledge my spirit.

Israel,
You are my nation.
You are my inheritance.
You are my home.

Postscript: Click here for more prayers and meditations about Israel.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you use or like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Credit: Alden Solovy

Dov Mendel Becomes a Prayer

Posted on: June 3rd, 2010 by tobendlight

Is it possible to become a prayer? Dov Mendel did. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Dov Mendel
One Shabbat morning, Dov Mendel’s prayer was answered. It wasn’t much of a prayer. It was more of a question, a question that came to him as he stood in silent devotion. “Do my prayers rise to heaven? Can my tired voice be heard on high?” A question from an old man to the Ancient of Days.

In that instant, in the instant between breaths and blinks and heartbeats, Dov Mendel felt his soul become a prayer. It rose gently out of his body. He could see prayers fill the synagogue as they began the journey toward heaven. The prayers were wind and light, song and tear, humility and compassion, and Dov Mendel could see them all. The prayers lifted each other, rising through the roof of the shul.

As he rose with the prayers into the sunshine, Dov Mendel could see from his body and soul at the same time as if he were in two places at once. He saw the treetops and villages and all the prayers rising with him. Dov Mendel, his soul a prayer, rose through the blue sky gaining strength from the other prayers, becoming a great roar of praise for the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. Dov Mendel was a trumpet, the prayers a symphony, as if the Shechinah herself lent her voice to the song. And in the instant between breaths and blinks and heartbeats, Dov Mendel was back in his synagogue and back in his body, as if nothing had happened.

Postscript: Click the link to read more short, short stories of holiness and love of G-d.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

The Season of Counting

Posted on: April 30th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is a meditation on counting. During the seven weeks from Passover, which marks the exodus from Egypt, to Shavuot, the holiday commemorating revelation on Sinai, Jews count the days and weeks. It’s called the Counting the Omer. We remember the journey from the depths of slavery to the heights of G-d’s Holy Presence. This prayer, and the act of counting, are reminders to stay present. Here’s a link to my Times of Israel essay on counting the Omer. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. This piece appears in my new book This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

The Season of Counting
This is the season of counting:
Of counting days and nights,
Of counting the space between slavery of the body
And freedom of the soul.

This is a season of seeing:
Of seeing earth and sky,
Of seeing renewal in the land
And renewal in our hearts.

This is a season of journey:
Of inner journeys and outer journeys
Taking us places that need us,
Places that we need.

This is the season of counting,
The season of joyous anticipation,
Of wondrous waiting, in devotion and awe,
For our most precious gift,
The gift that binds our hearts to each other across the millennia,
The gift that binds our souls to G-d’s Holy Word.

Postscript: Here are links to prayers and meditations for each week of counting the Omer and Shavuot:

Week One: Chesed (Lovingkindness, Love, Benevolence)
Week Two: Gevurah (Discipline, Justice, Restraint, Awe)
Week Three: Tiferet (Beauty, Harmony, Compassion, Truth)
Week Four: Netzach (Eternity, Endurance, Fortitude, Ambition)
Week Five: Hod (Humility, Splendor)
Week Six: Yesod (Foundation, Bonding)
Week Seven: Malchut – Nobility, Sovereignty, Leadership)
Shavuot

Please check out my Meet the Author video and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: Jan Zabransky on logopond.com

My Work Remains

Posted on: April 20th, 2010 by tobendlight

This prayer is profoundly intimate. And it is one of my favorite prayers written for myself and for other men. It came out of my work at the January 2010 New Warrior Training Adventure of the ManKind Project. It is dedicated to all who participated: the new men, the staff, the leaders and everyone who made the weekend possible. To listen while you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

My Work Remains
I am not done with me.
I am beautiful.
A work of art.
A Divine gift.

My joy is this:
The canvass is not complete,
So many colors and shades,
Tones and hues,
So much bright light and
Deep shadow,
Have not yet risen to the surface.
Now, the paintbrush is mine,
As it always was,
The secret I kept from myself.

How many more
Wonderful secrets
Are inside of me?
Waiting. Ready.
Praying for me to
Paint and paint and paint,
With broad amazing strokes
And fine fancy details.

I am not done with me.
I am beautiful.
Glorious and holy,
Joyous and powerful,
Willing and able.

Brothers of this earth!
Walk with me.
Take my hand,
Feel this power,
Share this prayer.
For you too are beautiful.
A work of art.
A man.

My work remains.

Postscript: This piece could become more inclusive by swapping the words ‘brother’ and ‘man’ with ‘sister’ and ‘woman.’ That’s not the intent of this prayer. The intent is to develop, as part of my prayer writing mission, a body of prayers for and about men. Check out these prayers for men: “For the Lost” and “My Heart Knows What It Needs,” as well as a list of other prayers for and about men.

Posts Tagged ‘freedom’

Against Human Trafficking

Morning Blessings

My Battle

My Heart Knows What it Needs

Life as a Symphony

For the Lost: A Prayer for Men

Israel: A Meditation

Dov Mendel Becomes a Prayer

The Season of Counting

My Work Remains

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