Broken-Hearted Politics

Friday November 8, 2024/7 Heshvan 5785

Parashat Lech Lecha

Hevre/Friends,

In his 2005 essay on holding together the tensions of democracy, the educator and activist Parker Palmer opens by quoting Terry Tempest Williams (writer, educator, conservationist) who said “The human heart is the first home of democracy.” Palmer titled his essay, “The Politics of the Brokenhearted”, but he speaks to more than just those who feel shattered by the state of this country. He speaks to everyone, regardless of their political affiliation. And his words remain urgent, whether you celebrate or grieve the results of this week’s election.

So many dramatic moments in American history have unfolded over the last 20 years - Hurricane Katrina, the first Black President, the Affordable Care Act, Sandy Hook, same sex marriage, the Tree of Life shooting, the first Trump presidency and impeachments, the Covid pandemic, the Space X launch, January 6, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, anti-Israel and antisemitic protests and encampments, Biden’s withdrawal from the campaign, just to cite a few. Still, the American people continue to struggle with deep racial, economic, religious and political divisions.

But you can imagine a broken heart in two different ways, Palmer teaches. One, a shattering of hopes, dreams and feelings; the heart breaking into a million shards of disappointment and loss where the work of picking up the pieces will be heavy and painful. The second is of a heart breaking open in order to live with each other more expansively, empathically, generously, and attentively.

“As long as we are mortal creatures who love other mortals, heartbreak will be a staple of our lives. And all heartbreak, personal and political, will confront us with the same choice. Will we hold our hearts open and keep trying to love, even as love makes us more vulnerable to the losses that break our hearts? Or will we shut down or lash out, refusing to risk love again and seeking refuge in withdrawal or hostility?” 

The same challenge confronts those who welcome this political moment: to remain openhearted, respectful and inclusive towards those who fear for their rights, their freedoms, and their expectations of a dignified and honest democratic process.

While events here at home understandably have consumed our attention this week, our hearts must stay attuned to crises that continue to grip the world: the hostages who remain in the dungeons of Gaza; violence against Jews, most recently in Amsterdam and Chicago just as we mark the dark anniversary of Kristallnacht; Israel’s internal instability amidst an ongoing war whose toll continues to grow; the vulnerability of those living through wars in Ukraine, Sudan, and elsewhere, and those rebuilding from devastating storms.

How much more room do our hearts have to hold all this pain, to generate all this compassion, to motivate for all the action needed from us? Maybe the Kotzker Rebbe was right: the only path to a full heart is a broken one. Whether shattered in loss or buoyed by triumph, make sure your heart remains open. 

Like Abram and Sarah in this week’s Torah portion who were called to journey to an unknown land only to discover they were heading to the very place they originally set out for - Canaan - none of us necessarily need to abandon the directions we’ve chosen in life. But we must make our way there with a heart broken open.

With ongoing prayers for the hostages and their families, the bereaved and the injured, and for a lasting peace in Israel, in the United States, and around the world, I wish you Shabbat Shalom.

Dini

(photo courtesy of Ronen Avisror)