I have not been able to put down this book “Abraham Joshua Heschel, Essential Writings” selected with an Introduction by Susannah Heschel. It seems that it has come into my life right at the most opportune moment when I needed to read his story on prayer the most. “Indeed, we forfeit the right to pray, my father said, if we are silent about the cruelties committed in our name by our government. In a free society some are guilty but all are responsible. How dare we come before God with our prayers when we commit atrocities against the one image we have of the divine: human beings.”

For some time, I have been wrestling around with the theological idea of “collective sin.” If we apply what Heschel was proclaiming, we forfeit our right to pray IF we remain silent about the “collective sin” of the world. I am reeling with the thoughts on how we speak up with a prophetic voice to create effective change. Heschel would argue that his greatest impact is not at a demonstration but through the individual conversations that he can have with people. What is the prophetic voice for Heschel – “to give voice to those who live in silent agony, to eradicate injustice, to emulate God’s compassion for human beings.” That certainly sounds like a person who lives out Micah 6:6-8 where we find God’s response to the people’s question about what God expects of them. It is not sacrifice, but a way of life that values justice, loving-kindness, and humility.

Heschel also had a profound sense of respect for religious organizations that were different from him. “What he expected from Christians is precisely what he displayed: respect, affirmation, public support, and never an attempt at conversion, which he considered existential violence.” We read that Heschel would find topics that united the differences rather than finding the topics that divided. I consider this to be a person who majored in the majors rather than majoring in the minors. We would all do well to emulate this type of respect for one another and our differences.

So how are you living your life with radical amazement? My goal is to see others with a radical amazement, extend respect towards one another through our differences, and maximize our similarities in life as we live together in community.