“The Power of the Dream”

         In the Hebrew scriptures we read about Joseph. He’s known as the dreamer. His ability to dream and interpret the dreams of others led him to a place of great power in Pharaoh’s kingdom in Egypt. Throughout our sacred texts, beyond Joseph’s story, we find God blesses the dreamers.

         Rabbi Sharon Brous wrote in an article in the Huffington Post, “The whole world stands on our ability to dream great dreams. The whole religious life is designed to remind us to dream precisely when life threatens to mire us in a reality that doesn’t match deepest aspirations of our people.”

         It seems in our society, we have forgotten to dream. We have become so polarized, so defensive and angry, we don’t think about dreams, ours or anyone else’s. We think about ourselves, about protecting our rights, keeping hold of our privileges, about standing our ground and attacking the ones we name as our enemies. There is no time, we say, to dream, only to fight.

         But what if we’re wrong? What if now is the time to dream? What if it’s, in fact, the most important time to dream? And if that’s so, I’m asking, what is your dream for our country? For our children?

         Do you dream of a place where a family isn’t safe at a ballgame? Do you dream of a city where children sleep under their beds to lessen the risk of being hit by a bullet during the night? Do you dream of a world where the leading cause of death for adolescents is gun violence in accidents, homicides and suicides?

         No matter where you stand politically or religiously, I don’t think anyone has those dreams. I think all of us want a world with less violence, less fear. I think everyone has deep aspirations for the good of all, especially the most vulnerable among us, especially for our children.

         Maybe it’s time for a different conversation, to unguard ourselves so that we can sit down together and talk about solutions, about solving problems, about our dreams. Maybe it’s time for our leaders to consider the dreams of our people and create laws and policies that help us move toward those dreams, not shatter them.

         We all deserve the right to be safe. Our children deserve to have their voices heard and to be protected. We all deserve to aspire to be better, to do better.

         Is it possible for all of us to be brave, humble, and also willing to compromise? Is it possible that we become the society we want to be? Is it possible, once again that we just take a breath and let ourselves dream? In the words of great prophets and dreamers everywhere, may it be so.

You are the light of the world.

Yours,

Lynne

(A portion of this musing appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Sept 30.)