I am so touched...

There are some (I think) Hassidic young men who come to the place I work every Friday to give sabbath candles to the owner, who is a non-practicing Jew. They seem to be a part of some outreach program to bring strays back to the fold. They are always exceedingly kind and sweet. Because of my plain dress, and because it is often different young men each week, they approach me nearly every time and ask me if I am Jewish. I always say no, and for some reason, I always feel a little wistful about it. Today, finally, they came up to me shyly and gave me some candles, and a little card, and said "This is for you. Shabbat Shalom!" I looked at the card, and it said, "The path of the righteous gentile...the seven Noahide Laws." I went to the website on the card, www.moshiach.com, and was delighted to find some amazing, uplifiting articles. If you do not take absolutely everything literally, they are so fully of Light and hope. Many are even Quakerly. Some are written in no-nonsense prose, others with a more friendly, almost childlike plainness. For example, this except:

However, you don’t have to be Jewish to eat bagels and lox, and neither need you be Jewish for Moshiach to touch your life. For when Moshiach comes, the world will rise to perfection. Moshiach is not the relocation of Jews from many places to one place; Moshiach is not the eternal domination of one people and the eternal damnation of all others: Moshiach is the concept to end all concepts. Moshiach is Utopia. Moshiach is the answer to “Why are we here?” Moshiach will not just redeem the Jewish people from exile—he will redeem mankind from meaninglessness, and teach the purpose of life to the universe. No more school shootings, no more pain, no more war, no more rat race.

1. The Messiah within

Some things never change: animals, vegetables, minerals. But people do. Change is part of life. People change. Countries change. Societies change. The world changes. Why? Because people reject the status quo. People try to change themselves, things, life. Why? Because people want a better world—don’t you? If we knew there was nothing we could do about this mad world, we couldn’t get up in the morning. But something drives us on. This trait, this will, is the belief in Moshiach—the belief that the world will be better one day. Ultimately, the belief in Moshiach is the belief in ourselves, and in the eternal triumph of good.

2. What can/should I do to help bring Moshiach?

Good is like water collecting in a cup—drop by drop, deed by deed. When the cup is full, it overflows its sides. When we fill this world with enough good, G-d sends Moshiach. G-d gave mankind tools for good—the Torah for Jews, and the Noahide Code for non-Jews. Whatever your spiritual configuration, G-d is waiting for your move—our move. Let’s work together to bring Moshiach, now. Let’s do good.

I know this would be unacceptable to those who view Jesus as the literal, final Messiah, but for me, this actually comes much closer to my "spiritual configuration".

There is also an absolutely beautiful little article, which spoke immediately to my condition, on
The difference between destructive and constructive sadness.

Here is a taste...

There is nothing as whole as a broken heart. —Chassidic saying

Depression is not a sin; but what depression does, no sin can do. — Chassidic saying

There is another article on Tolerance that is pretty much the most thoughtful thing I have ever read on the subject, though from a profoundly Jewish perspective.

Of course, some of the stuff is just over my head, and some of it looks weird and bizzare to my alien eyes. But all in all, I feel so warmed and blessed by this little happening, I can't say.