Yes, sadly, but inevitably, Lionel Blue, or, to give him his full title, Rabbi Lionel Blue has recently died.
He was a man of great wit and humility, atleast, based on what I have heard of him when he presented his 'Thoughts for Today', on the BBC's Radio 4 early morning programmes.
Rabbi Blue, it seemed to me, was a human first, and then Jewish secondly, and then a Rabbi. It is important for a person to first a human being, before he/she takes on any of the other identities we all have. Such as our gender identity, our religious - or non-religious - identity, our ethnic and colour identity, our social identity, and our personality identity.
Not being Jewish, I would not have been able to identify with Rabbi Blue's Jewishness, as it were, but, when he speaks as an ordinary human being, I was able to understand and identify with him, because of our shared humanity. Yes, it is also the case that there are aspects of his Jewishness which are common to all humans, irrespective of their religious affiliations, and that, when he displayed them, I could also identify with him.
Just as how when he spoke of his or the suffering of his loved ones or of the pleasure and happiness he experienced from witnessing something 'good' or 'positive', I could empathise. Because, I also share the ability to experience pain and pleasure, which are universal attributes ingrained in the 'human soul' or psyche.
As Lionel Blue might have said, we speak the same language. We were first humans, all of us, until, later on in our social evolution, we, or, rather, our ancestors, for various reasons, decided to differential us along the lines of 'us' and 'them.' In much the same manner as a maturing child moved on from thinking that he/she is the centre of the universe and controls it, until they become of age and begin to appreciate the concept of 'me' or 'I' and 'you' and 'them.'
And so it was that our ancestors found characteristics to first differentiate between people in general, such as male/female, black and white or 'Asiatic', and then, social differentiation, such as along religious lines.
As I write this post, I am very much aware of the fact that, for many societies, the family, the clan, tribe, et al, is very much still a major factor in their societal organisation. With the 'I', being subjugated to the 'we', whether that be the family, extended family, et al.
Now that Rabbi Blue has left us to fulfil the destiny which all now living souls must submit to, I will miss his homilies, his words of wisdom, and his cheerful delivery of his 'thoughts for today.' But, like him, I have no control inevitability of him having to go when his time comes, or over mine, when I also must pass on.
So, I shall have to suffice by thanking my fate that I have had the pleasure of knowing Rabbi Blue, even though not directly, and have felt a kindred spirit of affinity towards him.
I was not able to think the Rabbi for the pleasure he has given me, but, as he might have said, it is one of the mysteries of life that we humans seem to only truly realise and appreciate the beauty of what we had, when we lose!
In living your life, endeavour to relate towards your fellow humans as people belonging to the tribe humanus, and not as people belonging to this or that faith or religion. Let not your religion become an obstacle to you expressing your humanity.
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