Rabbi Rami Shapiro's blog
Roadside assistance on the spiritual journey
Rabbi Rami has served for over 25 years as a congregational rabbi, spiritual director and professor of world religion. "I am Jewish by birth, and a rabbi by training, but I have gone beyond both in my explorations of how to awaken the Divine in all things . . . that's what drives me."Post your questions to Rabbi Rami and look for his responses in this space. Registered users of this site may Click here to ask a question; if you're not logged in, you will not be able to post a question until you either Logon or Register (it's free). Some of your questions will be selected for Rabbi Rami's "Roadside Assistance" column in future issues of Spirituality & Health.
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Why Pray
If we can live godly or ungodly and God is not changed, then what is the purpose of prayer? I thought prayer, was in part, to somehow implore God to change his mind about our condition and improve it according to our desires. (Not that God answers our prayers this way...but it got me thinking!) If he can not be changed, why then pray at all?
Thank you for your column, I look forward to it and have grown in my faith through your teaching.
Sincerely,
Patti
Dear Patti,
As short as your question is, it is very rich, and I appreciate you asking it. Let me start with the nature of God, then turn to prayer, and then to the issue if whether or not our life choices impacts God.
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Thought You'd Like to Know
Rabbi Rami -
Greetings from Minnesota! I work for a small non-profit that organizes citizens of many faiths (primarily from the three Abrahamic traditions) to do social justice advocacy work at the state legislative level. We have a staff meeting a couple of times a month that starts with a piece of inspiration. It was my turn to start the meeting this morning, and I read your response to the question, “How do you go back to God if you have sinned against Him?” as my inspiration/devotional. Everyone (two Lutherans, one Presbyterian, one Episcopalian, and one Unitarian) loved it. Thought you’d like to know....
Julie Anderson-Smith, Program Assistant
Joint Religious Legislative Coalition/Interfaith Children’s Advocacy Network
Thanks, Julie. I appreciate it.Rami
Greetings from Minnesota! I work for a small non-profit that organizes citizens of many faiths (primarily from the three Abrahamic traditions) to do social justice advocacy work at the state legislative level. We have a staff meeting a couple of times a month that starts with a piece of inspiration. It was my turn to start the meeting this morning, and I read your response to the question, “How do you go back to God if you have sinned against Him?” as my inspiration/devotional. Everyone (two Lutherans, one Presbyterian, one Episcopalian, and one Unitarian) loved it. Thought you’d like to know....
Julie Anderson-Smith, Program Assistant
Joint Religious Legislative Coalition/Interfaith Children’s Advocacy Network
Thanks, Julie. I appreciate it.Rami
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Tell your kids the truth about what you believe
Our eight-year-old daughter is asking us about God. My husband and I don’t belong to a church or subscribe to a formal religion. What should we say?
Tell her the truth as you see it. Don’t pretend to believe in something you don’t believe in. If you don’t know what you believe, share that with your daughter; make questioning rather than answering the center of your family’s religious life. Study the teachings of the world’s religions to see what speaks to you, and find ways to honor those teachings with family rituals. As she grows older she may well outgrow the answers of her childhood, but you will have taught her how to grow into her questions, and that is far more valuable.
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