I am

When Akiba was on his deathbed, he bemoaned to his rabbi that he felt he was a failure. His rabbi moved closer and asked why, and Akiba confessed that he had not lived a life like Moses. The poor man began to cry, admitting that he feared God's judgment. At this, his rabbi leaned into his ear and whispered gently, “God will not judge Akiba for not being Moses. God will judge Akiba for not being Akiba.”

                                                                        From the Talmud

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The Sacred only asks one thing from us

That we be who we are

That we be the unique special

Carrier of the Sacred

We were created to be

I cannot believe I am merely an accident of history

The result of random history

Of casual couplings

There is a mystery in all this

Something mystical

About my presence

I am

I am here

I am here now

In this time and in this place

For a reason I might well never understand

But for a reason

And that reason is nothing more

Than to do the best I can with the gifts I have been given

To do my best

Knowing that I will fail and succeed

Be weak and strong

Wise and foolish

Calm and anxious

Do my best to be me

Allowing that the Sacred Presence

Which makes me “me”

To guide me

Empower me

And define me…

I will not be a Moses

I will definitely not be a Jesus

But perhaps I can be

Stephen

Child of God