A list of goodness from the LDS Church, and a few of my favorite things from ’23.
Who needs your light today?
I’m not in the habit of regularly sharing handouts from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (ie, The Mormons) and especially not with my congregation in Penn Valley PA on a Shabbat morning. But a few weeks back my wife attended an LDS service as part of her work with Interfaith Philadelphia, an amazing organization committed to dialogue, encounters, and seeking a deeper understanding between faith groups across Philadelphia and the suburbs. She picked up the flyer brought it home and showed it to me.
I love this. “Who needs your light today?” It’s such a simple but essential question. I think the list below speaks for itself. There are some super specific Christian ways to share your light. Still, most of the 50 are rooted in the everyday interactions or the everyday potential interactions, and that feels both very Jewish and perhaps more importantly, very human. It’s like the ultimate “To do Good list”. There’s stuff about neighbors, about family, about strangers, about friends. I really just love this list, I think about it every day.
But wait! Before you go and take this list and start spreading goodness throughout the world, I did want to share a few of my favorite things from this year.
Book that changed the way I see the world:
Aperiogon, Column McCann. The beautiful, heartbreaking, and hope-instilling story of two men, one Israeli and one Palestinian, each having lost a young daughter to the violence in Israel-Palestine, and how they find reconciliation, friendship and and a shared purpose of choosing dialogue over violence.
Song that hit me the deepest:
“Just Like That”, Bonnie Raitt. Ms. Raitt was watching the news one night, and turned the story she was watching into a song, the song into a hymn, and then into a Grammy for Song of the Year. You can read my full review of this song HERE
Video that made me the happiest:
“Nothing but a Miracle” by Diane Birch sung with Daryl Hall. There is something just giddy in the interaction between these two, as this song unfolds you can hear and see the mutual affection and knowing that each has influenced the other and took this song to a new level of joy. It just makes me feel good!
Favorite live shows shared with my various family members:
There’s always that dread that the person you’ve convinced to go with you to a concert will not like it as much as you do. And you can definitely feel it when they are not feeling it, but when they do love it as much as you, well it’s kind of great.
With my oldest son (and my nephew) seeing Neal Francis and his band at a small club in Providence, RI. There were less than 100 people in the venue. We were near the stage and Neal and his band just laid it all out there! The energy between the band and the audience was outrageous, infectious and dazzling. Funky soul joyful blues.
With my middle son: Seeing Gabe Dixon at a free show in Camden. Sort of out of nowhere, my son is playing piano and who better to see live (and meet) then the remarkable Gabe Dixon? Soon after, my son started teaching himself a Gabe Dixon song.
With my daughter and wife seeing Gregory Alan Isakov at Franklin Hall in Philly. My wife and I were saying how we wanted to see Gregory when our daughter said she loves his music, too. We all got tickets, ended up right near the stage and stood enchanted by Gregory’s exquisite craftsmanship, the interplay between the band and the overall experience of seeing a master at work.
With my wife, seeing Allison Russell at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Check out “You’re Not Alone” and her remarkable song, “The Returner”. Can’t think of two more powerful tunes to cap off this year of music.
And the winner for over the top, are you kidding me!? experience: U2 at the Sphere. On top of it being the wildest, most outrageous concert experience ever, I was seeing one of my all-time favorite bands playing one of my all-time favorite albums, and I got to share this with my brother and his 14-year-old U2-obsessed son (aka, my nephew.)
Favorite Gelato: Amma in Barcelona. Just simple, delicious, small batch, made fresh daily gelato.
Favorite song to play in an empty Sanctuary when no one is listening:
“You Don’t Have to Cry” by CSNY. Every morning when I lead the morning service on Zoom, there is a moment of personal prayer where I mute the Zoom and step away from the camera. All year, and as loud as I can, I sing this song, which opens with these words, “In the morning, when you rise.” It’s a nice little micro morning meditation.
Favorite new Spiritual: “Child of God” written by Mark Miller, and gifted to me by my dear friend and singing soulmate, Molly Hicks. This song builds from a whisper to a joyful Burt Bacharach-esque crescendo. “No matter what people say, you are a child of God.”
Favorite new rock song turned prayer: “Wiser Time”, Black Crowes. I heard this song years ago, as performed by Chris and Rich on “Late Night w/ David Letterman. I loved it then and made it part of our High Holiday service this year. It endures.
So happy New Year. Praying, wishing, and working towards a better, safer, more compassionate, more music-filled, more loving, and more empathetic world. As John and Yoko sang over half a century ago, “Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.”
(War is Over, if you want it)
