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The

Secret

Wholeness

5749

(1989)

Many of us are aware of people, often loved ones, perhaps ourselves, whose lives are breaking apart. This world contains enough pressures to pull us to pieces; so that we need the forces which pull life together again if we are to survive we look anxiously for the secret of wholeness that cements our often fragmented existence. This search has left many open to all sorts of panaceas, from Zen Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation to EST and Primal Scream Therapy.

Historically, this quote has been the role of faith through which, all profoundly, religious, should have discovered the secret of wholeness in a world which progressively distracts and fragments. Great religion gives us the means to pull ourselves together. Deep faith allows us to gather dissevered pieces of our lives, and make life whole. This need is also validated by psychology, which simply calls the process, integration.

Psychologist see what all of us see. Within and without are disintegrating forces, which tear us, apart. And maturity, the goal of living, means discovering, the secrets of an integrated personality as the basis of mental and spiritual health. So, whether we think in terms religious or psychological, the goal is the same: discovering the means to find the way to pull our lives together, and keep life whole.

We need not belabor the disintegrating effects of modern living. It is not only sin that breaks life apart. It is often existence itself. Urban living demands specialization. Each of us needs to know more and more about less and less, if we are to successfully earn our living. Technological advancements and government regulation make more and more of us seek specialists to help us cope with what we no longer personally understand.

Now all this would not only be inevitable, but valuable if the decentralizing forces were balanced by the forces that pull life together.

Medicine realized this, as it moved to unite specialists into teams that treat the whole man. Today, Doctors team with chaplains and social workers to understand and apply facts, about a patients home life and mental outlook to facilitate the healing process.

Here, the process starts from the circumference and goes to the center; from detail to totality. And here we run into religion; for religion is the relationship of man, as a whole being, to his world, religion is how a man joins his life to all of life. And no matter what we do, in this modern world, we need to philosophy that unites life, in the face of its centrifugal forces.

The Torah, provides this unifying world view, throughout its pages. Judaism demands that each of us apply our individual efforts towards making, even the lowiest being sacred. The sanctification personality is the truest test of our moral existence. It is the test of all our deeds. Everything that enhances life and uplifts personality is just. And everyone that brushes and diminishes others’ worth is wrong. So we know what to do about and how to judge Apartheid, poverty, terrorism and famine.

Likewise, Judaism’s sanctification of personality leads us to God. Martin Buber taught that while God is not a person, He has a personality. We know his mind and his values. We know he is loving, merciful and forgive. God uses His power for good. We know of his love for man and his confidence, in each of us. Thus God almighty, who created man-male and female in His image to become the fullest reflection of divinity. This is the faith of Judaism whether illustrated by the Rainbow to Noah or the Altar to Isaac. God, will not water life nor desire the destruction of the most precious element of existence- Personality- created in His image. This teaching is the integer vita- the unifying factory of existence saving life from chaos and disintegration. Unify our lives that we may serve thee in truth.

But many live fragmented lives for far different reasons. They are pounded by heavy blows, and devastating trouble. You and I know people who at this very minute, are beset by gale force winds and torrential rains of illness, economic change, advancing age, and legal involvements. We wonder; "How do they keep their lives from going to pieces when facing such catastrophes?"

I have new neighbors. They have done amazing with their yard. Their garden is a marvel. But the most marvelous is their rescue of an old apple tree that had failed to bear much fruit for many years. I asked the father how he did it. He said, "Look at the trunk." There was a deep gash at its base, with sap oozing from the wound. He continued, "When a tree runs to wood and not to fruit, it must be wounded in order to bear. We don’t know hwy, but its hurt makes it turn its energies to fruit."

We all know wounded humans. We all know people whose circumstances have taken a tragic turn. Some, curse life, and become cynical and some show fruitful lives. See that some hold fast to their sense of being wronged while others realize that bitterness is a dead end street. We must ask, what motivates some, in one direction, and some in the other? These are those who understand that overcoming tragedy means believing in something that makes life fruitful -- worth living, in spite of their wound. They are able to see beyond self and find their place in the lager world finding keeping even making a place in the larger world.

If we want to unit, the broken pieces of our own existence if we want to hold our lives together it is because our pain, our trouble, our sorrow, our disappointment do not force only to look at what is beneath us. Rather, like the survivors of the recent hurricane Elena, after the tidal wave of difficulty, we do no take only at ourselves, but we look beyond ourselves.

This is the story of the Pilgrims in America -- spending that tragic year when so many of their company died of privation and were laid to rest in a lonely place. Yet, the survivors summoned their strength to give thanks to God, beyond tragedy and death.

Such worship, is one of the central activities of all great human living. Born from it is the conviction of life’s worth and human worthiness, more worthy than himself to which he can dedicate himself, can he find consistent unifying meaning. In the face of troubles that threaten to pull as to pieces he can pull it together.

Consider, what pulls us together...Beauty that allows us to experience those mountain top perspectives that unite our lives through nature, music, or art. Great friendship puts us together because someone is close enough and love us enough to be truthful when we squander times and waster our energy. Their bravery confronts us as only true friend will do. Are we open to such true friends who believe in our best and link us to a far higher destiny, rather than encouraging the wearying round of anger that occupies and scrambles so many lives let also realize that religious faith that bestows a sense of surcease from feverish ways and provides an opportunity to discover transcending meaning in the highest service and the greatest closeness puts life together even when troubles threaten to tear us apart.

Thus we can behold the glory of man; in his ability to unify life in spite of ill fortune. The Psalmist sang: Let me build Thee an altar of the broken fragments of my spirits." After we look at the desolation four pain, and the first shock of our trouble and disappointment, some begin to pick up the pieces and with malice toward none, and with charity for all they being the constructive acts that put their lives together again, as whole as possible.

Great Life, Memorable Life, Cherished Life, emulated life is created by personalities whose faith and hopes draw it all together and make it whole often in spite of difficulty or crisis.

There is no more prayer. It is the gift of purpose and vision, Unite our hears to love and revere thee.