“If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.”

– Thomas Szasz

I actually think of this quote every time I hover my finger over the “Publish” button and decide to send another blog out into the universe. In the beginning I thought it was important for there to be someone reading what I wrote and then I thought of my Rabbi from when I was a child – he used to say, “Do not wait until you are in the mood to pray. Pray, and it will put you in the mood.”

I realized that the process of writing and posting a blog is a lot like praying. The times that I have felt the most moved by prayer have not been times when I felt that God answered me. The times that I have felt most spiritual – prayerful – are those when I can place myself in a larger context; when I can seee and feel myself to be part of a larger community.

The high holidays are a time when I can close my eyes and imagine people all over the world praying, wishing, hoping, yearning for wholeness and peace all at the same time. That connection is in itself an answer to prayer – to find a community of people striving together for a better world. I do not need to see their faces or hear their voices to be lifted by their intentions.

In some ways writing a blog post and sending it out into the world is an expression of faith that there exists a community of people who share a common struggle, hope, dream or yearning and, for at least one brief moment, our eyes will meet – gazing at the same words across a far horizon and for that moment we will be lifted by our shared  intentions.

So, fellow bloggers, I say to you: Do not wait until you are in the mood to write – write, and it will put you in the mood.

Wishing you a sweet new year.

If you appreciated this post, you may also appreciate Mi She’anah – God Who Answered