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A Moment of Holiness

"Think of a a time in your life when you experienced a moment of holiness".  This was an exercise often used by a teacher and colleague of mine, Rabbi Bob Abramson at various seminars and gatherings of educators and spiritual leaders.  He purposely left the words 'moment of holiness' undefined, leaving it up to the participants to define for themselves.  I was a participant a few times in this activity, and adopted it myself in various programs and sessions I have led.  It is always powerful and thought provoking.

People give widely differing responses to this charge.  Some are simple and elegant; such as the hush of a morning dew, or the smile on a child's face.  Others list crucial moments- birth of child, a wedding, or sunrise at the Grand Canyon.  But all share something in common.  All of these moments help transport the individual out of the ordinary into the extraordinary.  The experience is transformative, if even for a moment, and some say, it gives them a glimpse of the Divine. 

I reflect on this exercise whenever I experience something in my life that I feel is a moment of holiness.  I am truly fortunate to be collecting a number of them.  I was sitting on the couch with my 21/2 year old granddaughter the other day when she scooted next to me and lay her head on my shoulder.  My heart soaked up the moment so quickly I thought it would burst, and I realized, "this right here is a moment of holiness".  My husband and I went to see the play "To KIll a Mockingbird" on Broadway.  It is a marvelous play, so well written, beautifully acted and directed, but the transformative nature of the whole experience made me personally categorize this masterful piece of theater as a moment of holiness. 

Noticing the holiness, stopping to name it and appreciate it is what gives life to the moment.  These miracles of holiness surround us, yet it is our awareness that makes them real.  We can live our whole life and not realize they have been surrounding us the whole time.

How fortunate we all are to be so close to the Divine as we live our everyday lives.  We just need to open our eyes and hearts enough to notice. 

Cantor Marcey Wagner

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