Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Yom Kippur -- Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur will begin in a few hours.

It is for the Jewish community the holiest day of the year. It is a day to fast, to atone, to ask forgiveness, and at its end, start anew.

I have been keeping a Yom Kippur journal now for almost 30 years. Tomorrow, I will go down to the beach and write the entry for 2008, and I will take the time to read the entries that began in my mid 20's. I will review the past year, paying special attention to the areas where I have let down others, let myself down, where I must grow. I will make commitments for who I hope to be a year from now when I write in 2009. I will pray for a blessed year for the people I love -- and for a better year for us all.

"For the sins that I remember and the sins that I forget" -- a prayer that will be heard in most synagogues tonight. There is so much to atone for -- in the world, in our communities, in our faith communities, in our homes, in our selves.

But, I will also take the time to remember all of my blessings and feel grateful -- grateful for my family, my friends, and the work I am called to do.

May this be a year of blessings for us all.

2 comments:

Robin Edgar said...

Allow me to remind Unitarian*Universalists about some sins that they seem to have conveniently forgotten. And those are by no means the only sins that U*Us need to be reminded of . .

Anonymous said...

Peace be with you Robin...