Comforting Haftarah #1: You doubt me??

We've turned a corner. For three weeks, we read Haftarot of WARNING, preparing us for the impending destruction of the Temple(s) in Jerusalem. Then we observed Tisha b'Av, which commemorates the actual razing of those structures (along with many other calamities that befell us over the millenia).

The cycle of our year offers us an interesting lesson on life at this fragile moment: Once our worst fears have been realized, there's no point in continuing the chastisement. No use kicking someone when they're down, and it isn't really in the spirit of prophecy to run around declaring: "I told you so! I told you so!" For the next few weeks, our Haftarah texts change their tenor dramatically. Now we are treated to words of comfort and reassurance: God DOES still care, God sees our plight, and God WILL restore us to our land in peace... some day. And who among us - then OR now - could possibly doubt God's beneficent intentions???

Ok, so let's talk a little bit about faith and doubt. For many people, questioning religious "truths," especially about God, is either something quiet and embarrassing - that we only admit to ourselves behind closed doors - or its a badge we wear proudly and loudly - declared as a defiant, indignant, atheistic clarion call.

And I get it. The religious establishment, as well as most of our prayers, speaks with perfect faith and unshakable trust in the Divine... and it's obnoxious. Who actually feels that way? Do you know anyone who has NEVER felt any doubt in God or God's involvement in our world? Honestly, if someone raised her/his hand and insisted that s/he had truly never felt any doubt; I would be inclined to question their naivete or their morals. Doubt and concern are part of being thinking, rational, ethical beings, and we live in an uncertain world! Even in this, our first Haftarah of comfort, I maintain that there is an underlying thread of despondency that runs solidly through our text.

It is hidden, of course. On its surface - like so many religious texts - the prophecy of Isaiah sounds wholly confident. Just hold onto this question for a minute: If I said to you "I feel safe," you could choose to believe me or not, but it's really a toss-up. If, however, I repeated it over and over -

"I feel safe, I feel safe, I feel safe, I feel safe" - does anyone reading this think I am ACTUALLY confident... or am I trying to persuade and soothe myself because I feel the exact OPPOSITE?! The prophecy in our Haftarah is addressed to our ancestors living in Babylon, a few decades after the Babylonian Empire destroyed our Temple and dragged us into slavery. (Tough crowd for Isaiah's encouraging and hopeful message...) The prophet declares: "Behold! The Lord God comes in might, and God's Arm establishes God's rule" (40:10). Additional triumphant verses of flawless faith are added, and Adonai is depicted as omnipotent, all-good, and deeply concerned about the well-being of the Israelite people. But there's a problem.

Isaiah likes rhetorical questions. No big deal, right? "To whom, then, can you liken God? What form compare to the Divine?" (18) "Do you not know? Have you not heard? Have you not been told from the very beginning??" (21) These are SO obvious, right? Isaiah sounds almost like he's smiling,  telling all these silly doubters, "Don't you know how great God is??" The problem is, I count 21
rhetorical questions from verses 12 to 26. That's a lot of supposed confidence! At what number question might it slip over from "I feel perfectly safe!" to rocking back and forth hugging oneself? My point in saying all of this is, doubt, fear, insecurity, and questioning are NOT antithetical to religion; they are actually vitally important parts of any spiritual enterprise. If you are a doubter, congratulations! You don't need to hide your concerns behind closed doors, and you also don't need to throw them at people with fiery, righteous indignation. It's ok. Solid, unwavering, impenetrable faith is a hoax. I imagine others will disagree with me, which is their right. But that's one thing about which I, personally, have NO doubt. So speak your uncertainties aloud, share them with others. It'll feel good, it'll help you get through tough times when faith feels impossibly distant, and it might even offer some comfort. After all, 'tis the season for it...


Images in this blog post:
1. CC image courtesy of cdrummbks on Flickr
2. CC image courtesy of wbeem on Flickr
3. CC image courtesy of George Hodan on PublicDomainPictures.net
4. CC image courtesy of Tattorack on Deviantart.com