Richard Littledale

Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: July 2015

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A Kaddish for Sousse

When Barack Obama was preaching at the funeral service of Pastor Clementa Pinckney last week, there came a point where the melody of his words alone was insufficient, and the blend of anger, sorrow and faith demanded a song, even from the lips of a President. In a somewhat faltering voice, he began to sing Isaac Watts' great hymn 'Amazing Grace'. One by one, the robed clergy behind him took up the song and then the congregation joined with him too.

There are times when sorrow brings forth a song, even from the most unlikely places. For centuries now, Jewish believers have maintained the tradition of singing a kaddish for the dead. Sung by at least ten men (and often many more, both men and women) a kaddish is a mourning prayer expressing hope and faith even when all around is bleak. Below are the traditional words of such a kaddish:

Exalted and hallowed be God's great name in the world which God created, according to plan. May God's majesty be revealed in the days of our lifetime and the life of all Israel - speedily, imminently, to which we say Amen. Blessed be God's great name to all eternity. Blessed, praised, honored, exalted, extolled, glorified, adored, and lauded be the name of the Holy Blessed One, beyond all earthly words and songs of blessing, praise, and comfort. To which we say Amen. May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us and all Israel, to which we say Amen. May the One who creates harmony on high, bring peace to us and to all Israel. To which we say Amen

These words have been intoned for centuries, often in the face of heart-breaking suffering and oppression.

To use a Jewish prayer as we mourn the death of Western tourists at the hands of an Islamic extremist may seem like the most crazy combination - but these are strange times. How can the gunning down of tourists in swimsuits be considered part of any war which takes the name of 'Holy'? Nobody wins here - not the tourists, not the extremists, and not the Tunisians who make a living from tourism.

Can we find the voice of authentic faith in a world so troubled?

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