3/19/2023

JRB,

            I just listened to Rabbi Peter Berg at the Ebenezer Baptist Church as it celebrates its 137th anniversary. Sen. Warnock introduced him with a story from 1965 when Rabbi Jacob Rothschild rallied temples to sponsor an interracial celebration of MLKJ’s Nobel Peace Prize which launched Atlanta as a metropolitan city, “too busy to hate.”

            The Rabbi spoke of the 70 faces of the Torah each representing a different facet of reality “to approach the complexity of nuance that the truth demands.” He suggests that we have the humility to accept that “what we say & do can be perceived differently by our neighbors” so we avoid seeking answers & instead look for understanding.

            Are you doing this as you “tack to center” as the CSM suggests? How about echoing the Rabbi’s sentiment & remind us that most situations are complex, with at least 70 different interpretations?

            This message might help with this banking mess. Please consider Senator Warren’s observation that “it’s no wonder the American people are skeptical of a system that holds millions of struggling student loan borrowers in limbo but steps in overnight to ensure that billion-dollar crypto firms won’t lose a dime in deposits.” NYT guy, Peter Coy also has a point, “the real problem, though, for banks - not just Silicon Valley Bank  - is not so much the higher rates as the rapidity of their increase.”

            Likewise, the situation in Burma is not simple. Nan Lin opines in today’s NYT, “people barely recognize their lives; severe economic hardship, sky-high inflation, increasing crime & other suffering touches countless families. … we must be courageous. We cannot lose hope…We won’t go back to the old Myanmar. We will create a free & equal society for all, including the Rohingya & other ethnic minorities who have suffered for far too long — a Myanmar based on a federal constitution, equality, compassion & whose values inspire the world.”

            BYBS,