Speaking Out - Omer Day 25

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen

Which side do we see?
Which way do we turn?
What do we do?

Photo by Lisa B. Kaye

When we see something that bothers or hurts or angers us, 
do we complain 
or do we speak out?

When we see something that heartens and touches us, 
do we tell a friend 
or do we tell those involved?

Photo by Lisa B. Kaye

Speaking out about the good and about the bad - 
both have their challenges.
Others might not agree. 
Others might have a different experience of the situation. 
Someone could lash out at us, 
or accuse us of privilege. 
Or other unpleasant responses.

So many are the ways to be enslaved and held back by fear,
by anxiety,
by fright,
by terror,
by dread
of stepping forward,
of speaking,
of acting,
of responding
from our hearts,
from the truth we hold within.

Photo by Katy Z. Allen

So many ways to see and to respond.

Today is Day 25, which is three weeks and four days of the Omer.
Today is Day 25, which is three weeks and four days of the journey from bondage to revelation.

Rabbi Katy Allen is a board certified chaplain and serves as a Nature Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit. She is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long. She is a co-convener and coordinator of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network.

Lisa Baye Kaye is an amateur cell phone photographer and poet by passion and a healthcare and educational consultant by trade. She has lived all over the USA and currently resides in Metrowest, MA. In her words, “I believe that nature is a great healer and we must protect this sacred Earth that invites us to be part of its system.”