Let’s talk about hate

Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD

The Book of Isaiah was probably not written by Isaiah himself. To this day, scholars ponder exactly how and by whom the magnitude of wisdom in this book of the Bible was actually compiled. But contained in the chapters are some truly awesome ideas.

With that theme in mind, I want to share a Buddhist story about a young boy with a clay statue.

The boy loved the statue and wanted to make it look special. So, he went about earning money, for he wanted to have the statue covered in gold. Day after day he worked, until finally he had saved up enough. When the statue was returned, it looked beautiful, covered in gold plate.

However, as time passed, the boy noticed that the gold didn’t remain. Slowly, but surely, it was flaking off, unable to adhere permanently to the clay. Determined to keep his statue beautiful, the boy continued to work and save, until he could have it covered again in gold.

One day, the boy’s grandfather returned from a long journey. The boy proudly shared his now golden statue. The grandfather turned it over and over in his hands, noticing the places where the gold already flecked away, revealing the clay beneath.

Smiling, the grandfather said, “You know, this has been in our family for many, many years. So long, in fact, that there is something about this statue that you may not know.” As he talked, he began to knock off a little more gold in one area.

“At one time,” the grandfather continued, “This statue must have fallen into a large mud puddle. Because, before it looked like clay, it was already beautiful.” The grandfather picked at the clay, until a chunk of clay fell off, revealing a shiny gold underneath the clay.

That story highlights our natural instinct to judge by what we see. Judging ourselves based on our physical appearance is not new. Recall the story of Moses sending spies into Israel. Ten spies come back to report that the land was bountiful, but full of giants, much larger than the Israelites. They would have no chance of defeating them, and so the people should find another place to call home.

Two spies come back with a different report. Yes, they say, the land is bountiful, and it is inhabited by giants. But we are defined by more than our size. We have intelligence, skills, heart and God on our side. Surely, they argue, we can prevail and return to the Promised Land.

As we prepare for the year ahead, let us find a new perspective. Instead of thinking of ourselves as dull clay in need of some extra beautification or letting ourselves be defined by our exterior physical traits, let us start a more positive mindset. All we need to do is to look beneath the surface to see that every one of us is beautiful to begin with. We are all created in the image of God.

It is not our exterior that defines who we are or the legacy we leave behind. One day, that exterior will vanish. What will remain is the beauty beneath — the way that we touched those with whom we interacted, the memory of the compassion we showed toward those in need, as well as the lessons and values we lived by and instilled in the hearts of others.

Underneath it all, we shine like gold. Embrace that glow within, and let the world see all you have to offer — beauty that is present inside and out.