Never Tire to Remember

People see what they want to see,

Hear what they want to hear,

And remember what they want to remember;

They are compelled by what appeals to them emotionally.

Logic and reason have little power to change prejudices taught,

Often unconsciously from birth. [1]

Since we say we see our sin remains.

The past shapes the present.

We bow down to the idols our forebears carved for us.

Ceremonially we seal our loyalty with a kiss at death,

When our lips gently caress the dead lips of those who forbore us.

History is here for all to see,

Who altogether see we are in history together –

Satan, Demons, Angels, Man and Woman,

the Nations and the Generations –

We get what we want, which in turn,

Has effect upon what the rest want, which in turn,

Has effect upon how we go about getting what we want,

Which in turn affects how we,

Satan, Demons, Angels, Man and Woman,

The Nations and the Generations,

Get what we want.

And do not be deceived,

God is not mocked;

For whatever we sow, this will we also reap.

We who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly,

And we who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully.

We who sow to our own flesh

Shall from the flesh reap corruption,

But those who sow to the Spirit

Shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.

God does not change;

He does not lie or take a bribe.

When has He spoken and it has not been done?

For He Himself has said to us transgressors,

“Remember this and stand firm,

Remember the former things of old;

For I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning

And from ancient times things not yet done,

Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and

I will accomplish all my purpose…’”

Can we, will we remember

What the flame of fire has spoken to us together?

“Let the evildoer still do evil,

And the filthy still be filthy,

And the righteous still do right,

And the holy still be holy.”

May those who have not hardened their hearts

Take to heart the angelic advice,

And not lose heart in doing good.

For in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

So then tell me, please remind me,

While we have opportunity,

In this season when we remember

The multitude of heavenly host praised God saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth

peace, good will toward all,”

Let us together do good to each and all,

And especially to those of the household of the faith,

Who are His, Who is God manifest in the flesh,

Justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,

Preached unto the nations, believed on in the world,

And received up into glory,

Whom the heaven must receive until

The times of refreshing and restitution come.

 

[1]  Robert Michael, A Concise History of American Antisemitism (New York: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005), quoted by Steven Leonard Jacobs, “Religion, Theology and American Antisemitism,” in Antisemitism in North America: New World, Old Hate, ed. by Steven K. Baum, Neil J. Kressel, Florette Cohen-Abady and Steven Leonard Jacobs (Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2016), p. 60.