Walking with Humility - A Divine Dance. Invocation for the Colorado State House, 2/28/13

Opening Prayer for the Colorado State House

February 28, 2013

Rabbi Joseph R. Black- Temple Emanuel – Denver, CO

 Yesterday I learned a powerful teaching from the Reverend James  Ryan –outgoing Director of the Colorado Council of Churches.  In an interfaith Bible study he taught a group of clergy a new way to look at the prophet Micah who writes in Chapter 6, verse 8:

It has been shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what the Eternal GOD requires of you:
Only to act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Powerful words – but what do they really mean?

Acting justly and loving mercy seem to make sense… but walking humbly?  With God? 

In his teaching, Reverend Ryan posed the following question to us:  Why does the text state:  “Walk humbly with your God?”   Why doesn’t God walk with us?
His answer is simple – yet profound.  The prophet is teaching that if God walks with us – then it might seem that we are leading the way.

If we walk with God, however, then we have no choice but to travel on the path that God sets before us……  We are not in control.  Our humility opens us up to both vulnerability and the potential for change. We don’t know the twists and turns that we might take – or the remarkable souls that we might encounter along the way.

It’s as though we are partners in a Divine dance - pulled forward by the rhythm of an unseen orchestra:  God leads and we follow - with each subtle touch, or push, or weight shift we are propelled in a different direction - whirling and spinning for the sheer joy of the music and the mystery of the next cadence.

Dear God,

On this day of deliberation, as we look ahead to the tasks that await these legislators and, indeed, every soul in this chamber, we pray that we might all consider the direction of our Divine dance.

Help us to walk with You – to dance with You.  Teach us to find new paths that might bring us to a greater understanding of Your purpose.

In our journey together, may we find solace, inspiration and a renewed commitment to forge partnerships that transcend politics and party.

May each step propel us to act with justice, to love mercy, and find humility in the awareness of the responsibility we all share to better ourselves and our great State of Colorado.

Let us all journey together – in humility and in Love.

AMEN