Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, senior religion editor for the Huffington Post, recently shared how his experiences interacting with religious leaders offers him hope for the future. Rather than attempting to capture the vast wisdom of these leaders in a short blog post, he allowed over forty religious leaders to share their hopes for 2013. Three that were especially meaningful to me follow:
- For the New Year: may we believe deeply without despising difference; hope extravagantly without being crushed by failure; take our shortcomings seriously without being discouraged by them; do good for others without calculation and may we love: love without fear, love without narrowness, love without limit. Dear God, help our world to heal and our hearts to grow. Amen. — Rabbi David Wolpe
- My simple prayer for the coming year is that, with God’s grace, we value the wisdom of loving people and using things. Otherwise, we fall into the pitiable tendency of loving things and using people to get them. It takes great courage to resist the ego and live with compassion. In honoring the sacredness of all life and protecting the sacredness of our environment we may discover true blessings and fulfillment. I wish a happy new year to all. Hare Krishna. — Radhanath Swami
- Religion has been such an ugly and divisive force in recent human history. I pray that we can be participants in restoring a sense of loveliness to religion, and in religious faith becoming a force for good and for justice in bringing human beings together to live in harmony with one another and with the cosmos. — Omid Safi
So What?
2013 has arrived. Each of us has a role in making it a year marked by hope.
- Which of the quotes above or from the full listing of 41 resonates with you?
- In a paragraph or less, share your religious hope for 2013.