Filling the Void
April 10th– April 16th , 2005
Last week the world suffered a great loss with the passing of Pope John Paul II. As I said in an email I sent out a few days ago, everyone here at The Kabbalah Centre empathizes with the loss that our Catholic brothers and sisters are coping with at this very moment.
We understand their pain and it is our own.
A couple of weeks back when the Pope was still battling for his life, a student approached me and asked if we at The Kabbalah Centre pray for the Pope. I explained to her that of course we pray for the Pope. We pray for all the world because we understand that we are all sparks of divine Light from the same source.
Now that the Pope has passed and the Cardinals convene to find a new leader for the Catholic Church, it seems there is a void in leadership. This void is reverberating throughout the whole world and is felt by many people of all faiths.
This void is also reflected within us.
Everything that has happened this week points to one fundamental responsibility:
Each one of us must take the step to eliminate hatred, poverty, disease and all the negative aspects within ourselves first.
When we take full responsibility for our actions, words and thoughts - when we become leaders in our personal environment and community - this change will be reflected in the world at large.
As my father and teacher Kabbalist Rav Berg said in a recent talk on respect and human dignity:
People ask me, ‘Why are we here?’ We are here to complete the final step in the evolutionary process, the simple step that has eluded humanity for thousands of years:
Treat everyone around you with human dignity.
This is the single thing withholding the end to all forms of chaos. Treating each others with kindness and respect - irregardless of their race, creed or color - is the only medicine to destroy the disease of intolerance.
If we want the right leaders to come to power in this world, WE need to be those leaders first. And treating everyone with human dignity is the hallmark of a true leader.
This week, strive to be a leader in your life, take initiative in sharing and reaching out, and put others’ needs before your own.
All the Best,
Yehuda