I just finished the latest book from Rabbi Michael Lerner, The Left Hand of God, Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right (New York: HarperCollins, 2006)The thing that I like least about this book is the title. There are some that might be intrigued by such a title, but there are also some who will never pick up this book simply because of the title. This seems to ago against the open-minded political sensitivity and warning against liberal elitism that Rabbi Lerner expresses in the book.
Wherever you find yourself on the political spectrum there is a well spring of deep insight in this book that will get you thinking theologically and politically. The title may mislead you. Lerner has some harsh insight for everyone. He speaks of a deep spiritual yearning within the American people and how the political right has exploited it and how the political left has ignored it.
The book does a wonderful job of looking historically at where the political and religious right and left have come from. This sort of writing can help people better understand each other so that they may engage in meaningful dialogue instead of partisan bickering.
Lerner calls for an embrace of the left hand of a God. This is not a political hand, but a hand that is rooted in compassion, love, generosity of spirit, kindness, peace, social justice, environmental sanity, and nonviolence.
The Rabbi has a vision and a plan as well. He wants to make the world a better, safer, more loving place and has some ideas of how to make it happen. He may sound a little idealistic, but then so did Jesus.
If you read the book, I would love to talk to you about it, whether you love it or hate it.
peace,
will
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