Yet when Faith develops stigmata and begins to perform miraculous healings, Mariah wonders if her daughter- a girl with no religious background- might indeed be seeing God. Fearful for her daughter's sanity, Mariah sends her to several psychiatrists. Her best yet.įaith talks to her "Guard"constantly begins to recite passages from the Bible- a book she's never read. Picoult offers a perfectly pitched take on the great mysteries of the heart. As word spreads and controversy heightens, Mariah and Faith are besieged by believers and disbelievers alike, caught in a media circus that threatens what little stability they have left. In the aftermath of a sudden divorce, Mariah struggles with depression and Faith seeks solace in a new friend… a friend who may or may not be imaginary.įaith talks to her "Guard"constantly begins to recite passages from the Bible- a book she's never read. For the second time in her marriage, Mariah White catches her husband with another woman and Faith, their seven year old daughter, witnesses every painful minute.
Keeping the Faith is a column featuring the perspectives of a variety of faith leaders from the Columbus area.Somewhere between belief and doubt lies faith. Rabbi Hillel Skolnik is senior rabbi at Congregation Tifereth Israel on the East Side. And may those who are not afforded this chance find continued strength and more than a few moments enjoying what will hopefully be a beautiful summer. Let those who are able to take a break come back recharged and energized to heal our world. What Rabbi Tarfon means to teach us is that we must find a way to multitask. If given the chance, our children must use every opportunity to enjoy time with other kids and time outside. They need these months to play, grow and interact with each other. And if we are blessed to be presented with the opportunity, we must use these upcoming summer months as a chance to rest and recharge because we are going to need that energy at work and with the work of fixing our world. But let us not forget that the task ahead of us is great and we cannot afford to be away from it for too long. It reminds me of an ancient teaching of Rabbi Tarfon, who taught in the "Ethics of Our Sages" that “the day is short and the work is plentiful.” And locally, we continue to struggle with gun violence and a lack of affordable housing among other issues. The political divide within our country grows wider each and every day. Climate change continues to affect our planet and cause more extreme weather patterns. We must also remember that just because we might be out of town, the issues in our world never take a moment off. If anything, the problems are only worse once we return. Between travel costs, food and lodging, a chance at time away can quickly become out of reach. If anything, the lack of regular structure can cause its own problems, and the immense cost of camps and travel further brings to light the economic disparity in our area.Īnd much as it is critical for our own mental health to have time away, vacationing is expensive if not cost prohibitive. This chance to get out of town also affords us the opportunity to recharge our batteries as we continue the fight against the many challenges that our world faces.īut let us not act as if this time of year is easier simply because parents do not have to wake their children for school each morning.
KEEPING FAITH PROFESSIONAL
I have many happy memories from my own childhood of travel and camp - memories that we do our best to replicate for our own children.įor many, summer also presents an opportunity to escape from work, if only for a little while. Whether it is a long weekend or a couple of weeks away, a staycation or international travel, it is healthy to take a step back from our professional lives.
On the whole, I try to be a person who is excited by the onset of summer as I am a firm believer that our children deserve a prolonged break from their in-school education. With only a few days left in the school year, the thoughts of children and their parents around central Ohio turn to a term that makes some elated and others filled with dread: summer vacation. Rabbi Hillel Skolnik is senior rabbi at Congregation Tifereth Israel on the East Side.
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