You all know I'm not a sports person, so it's only this week that I first heard of DeSean Jackson (of the Philadelphia Eagles) and Stephen Jackson. I heard about them because of DeSean Jackon's anti-Semitic Instagram post and Stephen Jackson's anti-Semitic response.

I don't have anything new to say about the anti-Semitism, but I do want to share, in this space, three responses that I think are heartening and instructive for us.

There's a lot of talk in our society about "cancel culture" - and though it usually talks about media, what I am more interested in is the emotional dimension for regular people.  When do we "cancel" people rather than seek to listen, learn, and grow? Banner, Wolpe, and Edelman, are all examples of listening: what our Jewish response to conflict and disagreement should be.

Let's face it: we are in a very hard time in our society. Nerves are frayed everywhere, and we can't even see each other's faces most of the time. I was talking to a congregant yesterday afternoon who beautifully described to me why she doesn't feel a need to have a camera on her computer for our zoomed services that she regularly attends, but honestly, I miss seeing her face.

This week, we read the story of Pinchas, a Jew who, in a fit of rage at something he doesn't fully understand, commits violence. Our tradition both praises and condemns Pinchas - he is praised for his righteousness, and condemned for his violence.

Each of us has a little Pinchas in us. Each of us has the tendency to condemn, and although righteousness is a crucial aspect of our lives, Pinchas is also criticized for this. We also have to listen and be present.

I think we all can do better with this. I know I can, and I don't think it's a stretch to say it's a problem for every one of us. It is so easy to condemn, to cancel, when what we actually need to do is embrace and listen.

The next months are not going to be easy in this country. The stress of the pandemic and election and social distancing will wear on us. But our task, for this new year which is starting sooner than we think, is to listen and be present for each other. To avoid the tendency to cancel; instead, to open ourselves, like in that beautiful Zach Banner video. I might have just learned who he was this week, too, but it doesn't mean that kind of love shouldn't be our goal.

Shabbat Shalom