Friends,

One of my favorite inspirations comes at the beginning of our morning prayers. It begins by saying that we should act the same way whether we are in private or in public. Historically, this is a reference to the time when, under Roman rule, the Jews were not allowed to practice their Judaism in public, but it also speaks to the idea that we should act in our private lives the same as we act in our public lives. We should always have integrity. It reads:

לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא אָדָם יְרֵא שָׁמַֽיִם בְּסֵֽתֶר וּבַגָּלוּי וּמוֹדֶה עַל־הָאֱמֶת וְדוֹבֵר אֱמֶת בִּלְבָבוֹ וְיַשְׁכֵּם וְיֹאמַר

Both in private and in public, a person should always be in awe of the heavens, they should promote the truth, and speak the truth in their heart.  And when they wake up each day they should say, “רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים - Sovereign of the Universe”, or however you address a greater being, or your conscience, רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים: what are we?, what is our life?, what are our acts of kindness?, what is our virtue?, what is our achievement? What is our power? What is our strength? And what is our might?  And after we have pondered these questions, the text takes us in another direction and quotes Ecclesiastes, “for the sum of our deeds is chaos; in Your presence our lives seem futile…" But it doesn’t end there.  For even as we realize that life is complicated and messy; even when we come to accept that not all of our choices have been good, and even as we come to grips that our life is transient, the text reassures us that Ecclesiastes wasn’t completely correct, ‘Ah!” it says, ‘But we are we are partners with the Creator,’ and with one another and therefore we have the potential to do great, kind and virtuous deeds that make the world a better place.  When we are partners and collaborators with one another and with the Divine, we will be kind, and strong, and will speak the truth, and our lives will be far from futile. 

This morning, as the we open the second regular session of this august body, and every morning before you start the day, I invite you to ponder these questions.  What am I? What is my life? What are my acts of kindness? What is my virtue? What is my achievement? What is my power? What is my strength? And what is my might?

The people of Maine look to you to promote a healthy, just, and equitable society, one in which we treat each other as we would wish to be treated, one where everyone benefits and where no one is afraid. May you succeed at this task; and may this New Year bring each one of us the blessing of health, of life, and of peace.  Amen.