Earlier this week we attended the First Night Interfaith Musical Seder at Temple Sholom. It was a wonderful gathering of people from many different faith traditions.
The music was lively and children were very much a part of the festivities. The evening got us talking and thinking about community and how we interact together, or, as has been happening lately, do not.
We all lead busy, hectic lives and, as we have said before, that is all right as long as there is balance. We are a community that excels in all that we do, whether in our professional lives as leaders in business, in our students breaking new academic boundaries, or in the many successful athletes we have throughout town. We like to be successful, and that requires commitment. That is fine, as long as our success does not come at the expense of something or someone else.
The problems occur when our lives become unbalanced, when we focus too much on one thing and not enough on another. If we work until nine or ten every night without making time for family or friends, we may have accomplished what we needed to for work, but our family and friends suffer. Having balance is healthy for you and those around you.
Successful and happy balancing is not just about the work-to-family/friends ratio, it is about how we treat others in our community, especially those whose opinions differ from our own. Hate for hate’s sake, intolerance for intolerance’s sake, creates an imbalance that can be hard to overcome, but we must try. Having differing opinions is good. It is what makes our community interesting and engaging. It propels our politics, faiths, dinner parties and late-night comedians on television. When we become intolerant of other people’s ideas, beliefs and opinions, we alienate, and our community suffers.
American politician and activist Sargent Shriver, who was related to President Kennedy and founded the Peace Corps, Head Start and other programs, said: “Respect for another man’s opinion is worthy. It is the realization that any opinion is valuable, for it is the sign of a rational being.” There is strength in the difference of opinions, but only when there is respect. Without respect we lose the ability to hear and soon what binds our community together fades away. We do not want that to happen in Greenwich.
Respect can be difficult to offer at times. Differing opinions often evoke an emotional response. Keeping that emotion in check so that different ideas can be shared, heard and discussed without fear of ridicule or bullying can be challenging. But it is what needs to happen if we are going to regain our balance. Another Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, said: “What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.”
At the Seder this week, we welcomed the opportunity to witness our faith community come together and celebrate Passover. It set the tone for the week—that we should come together as a community. We should have more balance in all facets of our lives so that we can hear and share with, not just family and friends, but with our neighbors who we do not know or the person we have just met from across town.
This Sunday is Easter for many. Our churches will be filled with neighbors and friends. There will be a feeling of community, like at the Seder, as songs and hymns are sung. Families will gather and celebrate being together. There will be laughter and respect. There will be outdoor activities as the weather looks pleasant. There will be the opportunity to enjoy our community and each other. There will be balance.
From our family to yours, we wish you all a joyous Passover and wonderful Easter.
