Tiakun Olam
Tikun Olam - the imperative to repair the world - reflects the Jewish values of Justice (tzedakah), Compassion (hesed) and Peace (shalom). The concept, originally formulated by Rabbi Isaac Luria in sixteenth century Safad, has come to symbolize the quest for social justice, freedom, equality, peace and the restoration of the environment. It is a call to action - to repair the world through social action. It recognizes that each act of kindness, no matter how small, helps to build a new world.
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A thousand words for the same old story - boy meets boy; and they fall in love - try to find that one safe space where they can just talk to each other, look to each other:blush:smile and…love one another.
And the same old story, of people who hate because they fear; and the other boys pick up stones from the school yard and throw them at those who are strong in mind, but unfortunately they aren't made of steel and the rocks still hurt; and the sad truth is that the names hurt more.
And they come home and somehow look into themselves:into each other and find the strength they need to stand together and shout "we have the right to love and be loved in return" and all they get is jeers and shouts though a few people will try to be "P.C." and say "well, we'll tolerate it" - and the boys don't need tolerance said with a condescending voice from someone who thinks they have a superior mind: they need acceptance to feel free to love and be loved in return.
And the president gets on TV and stands behind the flag that thousands falsely believe stands for freedom and democracy but what people can't see is that separate but equal still applies to you and me. We're not free and the worst feeling in the world is to feel that they lied to you; that they lied to me: this isn't the home of the brave and the land of the free.
They can't get married and in some states a civil union they can't find; two different words because those in power wish to believe that the love they feel for one another isn't real or can be categorized a different way - but they and I know that the love they feel is real and I know for sure that no matter what laws are passed that their love isn't just going to go away.
And we stand together, brother to brother - sister to sister and hold one another and light a candle - a candle for hope; a candle for all the shed tears and this is the candle that will guide our footsteps as we take the first step in the journey of a thousand miles where we try to do what’s right and create some needed change.
And no it isn't going to be easy; but neither is growing up in Anytown, USA so compared to the self loathing and hate that they've felt arming themselves ranks low on the scale of fear.
And boys become men as they're called to fight for the rainbow flag; we fight every day when we ride the bus and try to hold hands. We fight when we try to prove that we too can be good at sports in school and destroy stereotypes. We fight when we stand alone in a room of hundreds and in the silence we find our strength and manage to walk out when the rancid anti-gay words begin to fly.
For every little boy who wants to play with Barbie and every little girl who wants to throw a ball - we're with you and the blood of Stonewall will never run thin.
"Yea even as I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me" as my brethren are tied to fences and beaten for the most powerful four letter word ever invented.
L-O-V-E
And you just can't see, that behind this Bourgeois false sense of democracy that we don't want something to "appease us" all we want is the peace of mind to know that our children; our kin, though adopted, will one day be able to grow up in a society without hate.
That one day we can stand together, as one - under one flag showing the amazing spectrum of the human race.
Never again do we want to hear words like "special friend" or "significant other" - call them what they are: Boyfriend, Husband, Lover.
And we fear, so desperately, that we will have to stand on a battlefield of gay versus straight and at that time it may be too late to repair the damage that's been done and if that be the case the rainbow flag will fly high because we'll never go back and hide, though we'll cry for those who fall on both sides.
And every day we're going to fight: some with weapons, others with words, others with a powerful silence and when it comes time we will rise with a resounding voice:
Black:White:Gay:Lesbian:Bisexual:Transgender:TwoSpirit:Straight:Undecided:Undefined
And on that day Tikun Olam the world shall once again be one.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A thousand words for the same old story - boy meets boy; and they fall in love - try to find that one safe space where they can just talk to each other, look to each other:blush:smile and…love one another.
And the same old story, of people who hate because they fear; and the other boys pick up stones from the school yard and throw them at those who are strong in mind, but unfortunately they aren't made of steel and the rocks still hurt; and the sad truth is that the names hurt more.
And they come home and somehow look into themselves:into each other and find the strength they need to stand together and shout "we have the right to love and be loved in return" and all they get is jeers and shouts though a few people will try to be "P.C." and say "well, we'll tolerate it" - and the boys don't need tolerance said with a condescending voice from someone who thinks they have a superior mind: they need acceptance to feel free to love and be loved in return.
And the president gets on TV and stands behind the flag that thousands falsely believe stands for freedom and democracy but what people can't see is that separate but equal still applies to you and me. We're not free and the worst feeling in the world is to feel that they lied to you; that they lied to me: this isn't the home of the brave and the land of the free.
They can't get married and in some states a civil union they can't find; two different words because those in power wish to believe that the love they feel for one another isn't real or can be categorized a different way - but they and I know that the love they feel is real and I know for sure that no matter what laws are passed that their love isn't just going to go away.
And we stand together, brother to brother - sister to sister and hold one another and light a candle - a candle for hope; a candle for all the shed tears and this is the candle that will guide our footsteps as we take the first step in the journey of a thousand miles where we try to do what’s right and create some needed change.
And no it isn't going to be easy; but neither is growing up in Anytown, USA so compared to the self loathing and hate that they've felt arming themselves ranks low on the scale of fear.
And boys become men as they're called to fight for the rainbow flag; we fight every day when we ride the bus and try to hold hands. We fight when we try to prove that we too can be good at sports in school and destroy stereotypes. We fight when we stand alone in a room of hundreds and in the silence we find our strength and manage to walk out when the rancid anti-gay words begin to fly.
For every little boy who wants to play with Barbie and every little girl who wants to throw a ball - we're with you and the blood of Stonewall will never run thin.
"Yea even as I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me" as my brethren are tied to fences and beaten for the most powerful four letter word ever invented.
L-O-V-E
And you just can't see, that behind this Bourgeois false sense of democracy that we don't want something to "appease us" all we want is the peace of mind to know that our children; our kin, though adopted, will one day be able to grow up in a society without hate.
That one day we can stand together, as one - under one flag showing the amazing spectrum of the human race.
Never again do we want to hear words like "special friend" or "significant other" - call them what they are: Boyfriend, Husband, Lover.
And we fear, so desperately, that we will have to stand on a battlefield of gay versus straight and at that time it may be too late to repair the damage that's been done and if that be the case the rainbow flag will fly high because we'll never go back and hide, though we'll cry for those who fall on both sides.
And every day we're going to fight: some with weapons, others with words, others with a powerful silence and when it comes time we will rise with a resounding voice:
Black:White:Gay:Lesbian:Bisexual:Transgender:TwoSpirit:Straight:Undecided:Undefined
And on that day Tikun Olam the world shall once again be one.