Surprise!
In a conversation between Krista Tippett, the host of the weekly podcast, On Being and Arnold Eisen, author and chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, about the life and work of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Herschel, the Rabbi is quoted as saying that “An individual dies when he ceases to be surprised. I am surprised every morning that I see the sun shine again. When I see an act of evil, I am not accommodated. I don’t accommodate myself to the violence that goes everywhere; I’m still surprised. We must learn how to be surprised, not to adjust ourselves. I am the most maladjusted person in the world.”
I was just saying in an email to a friend that I am surprised that we very bright, creative humans are so stupid that we think that we can end violence by being more violent; that we can abuse others to prevent abuse. I was remarking about an interview I heard with a young man who is a member of the far right group which just won a place in the new government that German President Merkel will be forming. This young man was abused as a child and sees the Neo-Nazi beliefs of this group as a way to prevent future abuse of children. He actually believes that having the illusion of an Aryan race in charge will guarantee no more abuse. I did not hear the predominant race of his father who might well identify as Aryan. I have listened to the talk of a lot of frightened, ego depleted individuals in many countries including the United States who convince themselves that excluding certain races, religions or cultures will create a more just society. I am surprised at the sheer ignorance of this and, yet, I know I, too, am capable of just jaded thinking.
I am surprised that any of us humans can so limit our thinking that we exclude what is well known. Yet, I am equally surprised that other humans can fail to see the pain of those who adopt such a delusional system. So many of us, if not careful, do not see beyond the fear which lies beneath the hate. The fear is, “What if I do not count? What if I am not worthwhile?”
As is Rabbi Herschel, I am surprised by the sunshine, the fall plants which contain the code of beautiful flowers, the ability of some actors I saw yesterday who memorized disconnected lines in the play which is a farce. I listen to the music of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, or a host of others and am overcome with tears. I see a person who many years ago when I was eating dinner alone sent over a gift. I run up to give him a hug and a kiss. He is still managing restaurants but he is also an actor. I wake up in the morning and am amazed that even with the slight ache of a cold I can move my body and even feel ever part of it.
I listen to some Ted Talks on consciousness and am delighted with the ideas that others are offering. I hear, “What if there are levels of consciousness in all of life?”
Many wise teachers have suggested that we hold on to or reclaim that sense of wonder that most of us had as children. We explored the world with touch, taste, smell, sight and force. We played with the tension between our body and whatever object we encountered – the floor, a wire, a cupboard door, a hand, a nose or some other body part. We were surprised with the amazing comfort of lying our head on the breast of a parent or the soft touch of a kiss. We sucked until we were fed. We cried when we were hurt or tired.
We were, in other words, constantly surprised. We did not judge although we may have cried when we experienced discomfort. We might have learned to generalize so that much of the world might have become off limits. We might have accepted our small world as the world and ceased being delighted or surprised.
Professor Eisin talks about a young Rabbi who took the kids out of a boring, insipid, irrelevant service and introduced them to people such as Rabbi Herschel who was never boring.
It is my experience that when we adults become predictable we become boring. When we demand blind obedience to a church, a God, a country, a family, a person we become irrelevant. When we fail to see the joy and the pain of others or fail to react to that pain and joy – we become irrelevant.
We can reclaim our sense of awe, surprise and, yes, relevance. We can become loyal to the world which is ever changing and not hold on to a particular God, Country, race, religion, or way of being.
I recall as a young man that there was a restaurant chain called Howard Johnson’s which offered, I believe, 28 flavors of ice cream. This included Banana, Black Raspberry, Burgundy Cherry. Butter Pecan, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Coconut, Coffee, Fruit Salad and so forth.
When I was in my twenties and finally had the means to get any ice cream I wanted, I often said to the server, “Surprise me.”
I think that we can sample all 28 flavors and perhaps more. We only have to open ourselves to being surprised. Life does not have to be boring, irrelevant, or insipid. We do not have to accept the limited thinking of behavior which some would call evil. Violence is unacceptable. Racism is unacceptable. Bullying is unacceptable. Boredom is unacceptable.
It is time to taste, touch, feel, smell, see the world as a fresh experience. It is time to taste 28 or perhaps 100 flavors.
It is time to live.
Written September 25, 2017
In a conversation between Krista Tippett, the host of the weekly podcast, On Being and Arnold Eisen, author and chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, about the life and work of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Herschel, the Rabbi is quoted as saying that “An individual dies when he ceases to be surprised. I am surprised every morning that I see the sun shine again. When I see an act of evil, I am not accommodated. I don’t accommodate myself to the violence that goes everywhere; I’m still surprised. We must learn how to be surprised, not to adjust ourselves. I am the most maladjusted person in the world.”
I was just saying in an email to a friend that I am surprised that we very bright, creative humans are so stupid that we think that we can end violence by being more violent; that we can abuse others to prevent abuse. I was remarking about an interview I heard with a young man who is a member of the far right group which just won a place in the new government that German President Merkel will be forming. This young man was abused as a child and sees the Neo-Nazi beliefs of this group as a way to prevent future abuse of children. He actually believes that having the illusion of an Aryan race in charge will guarantee no more abuse. I did not hear the predominant race of his father who might well identify as Aryan. I have listened to the talk of a lot of frightened, ego depleted individuals in many countries including the United States who convince themselves that excluding certain races, religions or cultures will create a more just society. I am surprised at the sheer ignorance of this and, yet, I know I, too, am capable of just jaded thinking.
I am surprised that any of us humans can so limit our thinking that we exclude what is well known. Yet, I am equally surprised that other humans can fail to see the pain of those who adopt such a delusional system. So many of us, if not careful, do not see beyond the fear which lies beneath the hate. The fear is, “What if I do not count? What if I am not worthwhile?”
As is Rabbi Herschel, I am surprised by the sunshine, the fall plants which contain the code of beautiful flowers, the ability of some actors I saw yesterday who memorized disconnected lines in the play which is a farce. I listen to the music of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, or a host of others and am overcome with tears. I see a person who many years ago when I was eating dinner alone sent over a gift. I run up to give him a hug and a kiss. He is still managing restaurants but he is also an actor. I wake up in the morning and am amazed that even with the slight ache of a cold I can move my body and even feel ever part of it.
I listen to some Ted Talks on consciousness and am delighted with the ideas that others are offering. I hear, “What if there are levels of consciousness in all of life?”
Many wise teachers have suggested that we hold on to or reclaim that sense of wonder that most of us had as children. We explored the world with touch, taste, smell, sight and force. We played with the tension between our body and whatever object we encountered – the floor, a wire, a cupboard door, a hand, a nose or some other body part. We were surprised with the amazing comfort of lying our head on the breast of a parent or the soft touch of a kiss. We sucked until we were fed. We cried when we were hurt or tired.
We were, in other words, constantly surprised. We did not judge although we may have cried when we experienced discomfort. We might have learned to generalize so that much of the world might have become off limits. We might have accepted our small world as the world and ceased being delighted or surprised.
Professor Eisin talks about a young Rabbi who took the kids out of a boring, insipid, irrelevant service and introduced them to people such as Rabbi Herschel who was never boring.
It is my experience that when we adults become predictable we become boring. When we demand blind obedience to a church, a God, a country, a family, a person we become irrelevant. When we fail to see the joy and the pain of others or fail to react to that pain and joy – we become irrelevant.
We can reclaim our sense of awe, surprise and, yes, relevance. We can become loyal to the world which is ever changing and not hold on to a particular God, Country, race, religion, or way of being.
I recall as a young man that there was a restaurant chain called Howard Johnson’s which offered, I believe, 28 flavors of ice cream. This included Banana, Black Raspberry, Burgundy Cherry. Butter Pecan, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Coconut, Coffee, Fruit Salad and so forth.
When I was in my twenties and finally had the means to get any ice cream I wanted, I often said to the server, “Surprise me.”
I think that we can sample all 28 flavors and perhaps more. We only have to open ourselves to being surprised. Life does not have to be boring, irrelevant, or insipid. We do not have to accept the limited thinking of behavior which some would call evil. Violence is unacceptable. Racism is unacceptable. Bullying is unacceptable. Boredom is unacceptable.
It is time to taste, touch, feel, smell, see the world as a fresh experience. It is time to taste 28 or perhaps 100 flavors.
It is time to live.
Written September 25, 2017
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