Pam
08-18-2001, 01:03 AM
Excerpted From the Summer 2000 edition of Spirituality and Health magazine, by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner:
"...there is a mountain, and the mountain is very high, and the top of the mountain is being with God. But because the mountain is so high, its base is so big that it is in several different climate zones. And people have different traditions for how to climb the mountain.
People in the tropical climate have a tradition that says wear short pants and a pith helmet and mosquito netting. And people in arctic climates have a tradition that says wear a snow parka and goggles and boots.
When the people in the tropical climates get about halfway up the mountain, it gets a little chilly and they have to go back for a sweater, and when people form the arctic climates get about halfway up, it's getting a little bit warmer, and they shed their outer layer of clothing.
When they get to the top, of course, everybody's dressed the same way.
The problem, says Needleman, is when people walk around the base of the mountain and argue about how to dress."
"...there is a mountain, and the mountain is very high, and the top of the mountain is being with God. But because the mountain is so high, its base is so big that it is in several different climate zones. And people have different traditions for how to climb the mountain.
People in the tropical climate have a tradition that says wear short pants and a pith helmet and mosquito netting. And people in arctic climates have a tradition that says wear a snow parka and goggles and boots.
When the people in the tropical climates get about halfway up the mountain, it gets a little chilly and they have to go back for a sweater, and when people form the arctic climates get about halfway up, it's getting a little bit warmer, and they shed their outer layer of clothing.
When they get to the top, of course, everybody's dressed the same way.
The problem, says Needleman, is when people walk around the base of the mountain and argue about how to dress."