JourneyOnline
Published by Doubleday 2008.
RRP $28.95
Have you heard of a God whose name is Enoughisenough? – El Shaddai (Hagar)
Sherre Hirsch; mum, Hebrew Scholar and Rabbi, regular guest speaker on American TV shows relates in an easy conversational style, aspects of the Old Testament. This includes translations of God’s many names.
Sherre tells how Moses heard God reveal ideal attributes; “I am ‘compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, truthful, faithful, abounding in kindness, merciful, forgiving of iniquity, transgression, and sin’.
Insightfully she observes God has an “infinite capacity to empathise but no ability to intervene” – a God “with us”. In times of trouble Sherre recognises humans need a caring God more than a God in control. She sees God discovering God too.
Describing herself as “Cheerleader”, Sherre reminds us that there have always been difficulties -so in the best Midrash tradition, with lots of anecdotes, she helps us apply old ways of thinking to new found circumstances.
Handy hints include; stay clear of the hellish “what ifs”, or “if onlys”, instead ask; “what is it that stops you from moving” “what would you recommend to someone else?”
The Jewish approach to grieving is shared, including giving your self space to get mad, and also the ‘blessing of the Sliver of the New Moon’ – beginning again.
Sherre exhorts us to;” Listen! Hear where your divine spark is”, that is, where ever those moments of sheer peace are experienced such as caring, creating, communicating. Discover what’s already there and know it’s transportable, applicable to any situation.
This timely, uplifting, small book would appeal to most people especially those in need of encouragement. Tasks are included.
As the title indicates there is humour; “God gives us water, we make Diet Coke”. Rabbi Sherre Hirsch encourages us to use our own language and speak our hearts until a shared language develops – so I’d swap “sparkle” for ‘bling’.
The foreword is by Rabbi Harold Kushner who wrote When Bad things Happen to Good People.
Review by Krishna Buhler Cairns Hospital Chaplaincy Committee.
