If Eliyahu's there, I'm there.
Eliyahu comes to every bris (and the way I see it, to every simchat bat as well).
He's there at the end of Shabbat when we light the havdalah candle.
And of course, he's there on Pesach after we finish eating, when we open
the door.
I would never miss an Eliyahu moment. And even though it gets late after
dinner at the Seder, you shouldn't either!
Eliyahu is our visionary. He's on the lookout for the first signs of redemption. If there's something stirring anywhere
that suggests our world may be transforming, Eliyahu's going there to check it
out.
That's why Eliyahu comes to see the new babies. They are so perfect — they are pure
products of love, they bring people together, they spark joy and get us talking
about the best qualities of our forebears. Maybe this little infant will be the one who never loses
those qualities, and leads us toward a better world.
That's why Eliyahu visits us at havdalah. When
we are so full of joy, community, family, and wisdom from Shabbat, Eliyahu
wants to see if we get it yet. If
we'll take the perfection of Shabbat out into our world, to overcome the
barriers that divide and divert us.
Maybe Shabbat will have taught us how to engage in real tikkun
olam.
Eliyahu doesn't come for the first part of the Seder. He's not interested in Dayenu, because he believes that what happened before is not
enough. No, Eliyahu waits until
we've talked about redemption in the past, and filled ourselves with freedom,
fellowship, and food.
Then Eliyahu comes by our door to see if we are ready to
take the responsibility that comes with being the people God has redeemed. Before dinner, we go over the story,
teach and retell it. After dinner,
we turn toward the future.
If we appreciate the fact that we are free, then we will
know we have to stand with those who are not yet free. If we are grateful for the bounty of a
Seder meal, we will know that we have work to do to make a world where no one
goes hungry. If we revel in our
discussions and creative Seder experiences, we will devote ourselves to
building a world that nourishes the minds and souls of every person.
Eliyahu must have a lot of patience. In the Bible, he comes off as a
zealot. Maybe that's why he has
only a few moments with us for a song.
But we need that Eliyahu moment. The look of question in his eye. It's a hopeful look, really. He looks at each of us: Is it you? What source of redemption is sitting around this table?
So this year at the Seder, don't race by the Eliyahu
moment. From Pesach, each of us
can look at ourselves and each other the way Eliyahu does. What part of the world's redemption
is….ME?
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