There is a concept in Judaism called “Tikkun Olam” which roughy translates to repairing the world. As with any religious concept, there is debate about what that means: does it urge people to because engaged in social justice activism to make the world more just or does it mean making the divinity of god manifest? I am not Jewish so the finer theological argument is not for me to engage, I can simply admire the confident power of that injunction. There is an assumption there that we all have agency, that we can do our part, and that power to repair the world is in our hands.

However, since we are not magical creatures, we probably need to start small, with ourselves and our relation to the world, finding avenues to being people together, to create the Beloved Community, another religious concept, this time from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a community formed by and of agape or brotherly love, the selfless love of others that seeks justice and dignity for all.

“I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Continue reading →