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What is Neshama News. Neshama is the part of our soul that is still connected to God. Its that part that tugs at us when we feel the need to 'connect to the universe' or 'feed the hungry' or 'save the whales.' Neshama News is meant to document news stories but in a way that encourages faith and, at times, give us (me) hope.
Black Friday blackened. As with every year, stores have a black Friday sale in which items are drastically cut down in prices. Hopeful consumers line up hours in advance before the stores open hoping for bargains. Well this year, things turned deadly. At a Toys R Us in California, two people were shot and killed -possibly in the name of materialism. What kind of "bargain" was that? Materialism is just NOT worth two lives -not even one life! But it continues as Wal Mart Black Friday Stampede takes the life of a worker. The Holiday season has been infused with materialsim for a while now, perhaps this is a wake up call?
The terrorist attack in Mumbai is finally over. According to reports, about 195 people were killed. Again, precious lives taken by those with disregard for what is holy and precious. India claims that the attack was from a Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. However, they stopped short of accusing the Pakistani government of being accomplices. India and Pakistan have been battling each other since 1947 over border disputes. (the same type of disputes that went on in Rwanda, the middle east) Who's footprints are those? At any rate, blame does not fix the problem. In a show of great humility, Shivraj Patil, the At Home Minister of India resigned. Other governments should learn from this.
Speaking of government heads resigning, In Thailand, protesters have taken over Bangkok's two airports and won't let go until Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat resigns. Why do they want him to resign? Because of a protest that happened in October 7 in which the police were ordered to take apparently drastic steps against the protesters and fired teargas canisters.
A first ever Noahide Radio Show. Noahides are people who are not Jewish, but they take on the Torah and the laws that are meant for non-Jews. Hosted by Ray Pettersen and Jim Long, the Noahide Nations show is a program about the Noahide, or Bnei Noach, movement. More on that at INR.
(this is a test to see if I enjoy it or not. Bear with me!)
3 comments:
A Black Eye for Black Friday
Miriam, I left the following comments at another blog that discussed this annual phenomenon.
In my own unique way, I tried to offer an explanation for what we saw as a total disregard for human life.
To the eternal blessing of a few, some who were there attempted to save the Walmart security guard, but were trampled themselves.
It's reported that law enforcement is reviewing the security video to see if charges can be brought against some shoppers.
Yet, until hearts are changed, the only thing punishment will accomplish is perhaps a measure of emotional closure for the families of the victims.
I understand that a pregnant woman lost her unborn child in the mêlée.
Here' my take on it all:
It's spirituality vs. materiality.
There are those who identify more (excessively) with their body (matter and materiality) than with their spirit.
We call those people "soulless."
There are those who identify more (excessively) with their body than with their mind.
We call those people "mindless."
There are those who identify more with their spirit than with their mind or their body.
We call those people "soulful."
Although we need balance within this triad, we need more "soulful" people than we do "soulless" and "mindless" ones.
Humanity is out of balance, out of sync. Until balance is restored, we will continue to see soulless and mindless acts predominate in our world.
What is the matter? Our bodies. We indulge them at the expense of both mind and spirit.
Until we subjugate the body--by bringing it into proper alignment with the whole--senseless and soulless acts will continue.
Domino - re: A black eye for black Friday--- there you go!
For the longest time , I did not understand the concept of "souless". Rabbis spoke of it, but often times the laymen who hear this took it literally. Not until I verbally expressed my doubts about this concept did the answer come to me.
Its all relative. Like you said, its not that they don't have a soul or neshama per se, its that relative to the other parts (or relative to a balanced way of being?) the vody, or material is more focused on.
Black friday indeed.
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