Reflections on how to deal with Crisis

So often in life, we plan and Gd laughs. So often in life we are on a path only to be diverted due to outside forces. I had wished to spend time reflecting on the recently completed Jewish Holidays, considering things gained and learned during those three weeks of reflection, introspection and celebration. Yet, since Saturday, Oct. 7, which coincided with the end of the holidays, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, anything I thought about sharing has felt trite.

The sheer barbarism that occurred during the most joyful part of the fall Jewish holiday season cannot be put into words. What Hamas did to my brethren in Israel, which truthfully by extension was to all of us, was devastating to so many of us. And so, even now, I am writing words that feel so hollow, yet write I must, because this is my outlet.

The post I wanted to write would have focused on celebrating the opportunities to reflect. It would have been on how Yom Kippur gives us the time to recognize how easily it is to fall short and at the same time how easy it can be to get back on course. I would have written about how our Sukkot this year was a beautiful week of joy, celebration, community and learning. And yet, all this was shattered.

Instead, I can write the post about how the Jewish community in Israel and around the world faced crisis head on and did not fall victim to fear. I can share that people from all over have gathered to handle this latest blow through prayer and action. I can share that people are not allowing terror and hate overwhelm them but are instead facing it with resolve and strength.

When we face a crisis, each of us has many tools we can draw upon to deal with the challenges before us. I was fortunate to receive a document via email last week with a lesson on dealing with a crisis based on a story of David before he was king (Samuel 1 chapter 30 – see here). While most of us have a sense of this at the moment, I will nevertheless share with you the four pronged approach:

1. Crying and sadness – We must allow ourselves to take the time to be honest to our sadness and pain. Bottling up these feelings will only have negative repercussions at some further point down the road.
2. Emotional introspection – As a corollary to the first point, we experience a multiplicity of emotions in times of crisis. For myself, these past 9 days have been ones of worry, fear, resolve, hope, joy, sadness, and a host of other feelings, sometimes simultaneously. And that is OK as well. We can celebrate and also feel the pain and grief for those who were murdered in cold blood.
3. Faith – For so many, this has been a week of increased prayer and religious resolve. For others, this has been a week of questioning and anger towards Gd. Both are signs of faith. Spirituality is a lifetime struggle. It is in these times when we confront Gd however we choose and hopefully find something within that struggle to help carry us forward.
4. Action – What can I do to help? So often in crisis moments, people find that they can’t just watch from the sidelines. It is amazing what human resolve can do and what people can do to support one another.

As we continue to go through these terrible days, may we continue to have the strength to support each other and make sure we are also supporting ourselves.

If you or someone you know is struggling, spiritually or emotionally, trying to find a sense of meaning in times of struggle, know that you are not alone. Contact New Beginnings Spiritual Coaching and Consulting LLC at 732-314-6758 ext. 100 or via email at newbeginningsspiritualcoach@gmail.com