To the Editor:
Dear Dr. Kennedy,
A member of my former congregation sent me your column (Dear Minister, Aug. 13, by Pastor Joshua Kennedy). I was saddened to see your response to the person of faith who asked if they would see their Jewish grandfather when they go to heaven. While you were sympathetic, you were far from compassionate or empathetic. This person was asking you to help them reconcile their Christian faith with their grief at the loss of their beloved grandfather, and whether they would see him in heaven. God, I hope so.
You quote Genesis 18:25, the entire verse reads: “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the Earth do right?” Abraham (the father of all monotheistic faiths) pleaded with God to save the righteous even as God destroyed the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham’s questions helped God to understand that God had the power to save the innocent and only destroy the wicked.
God has the power to save us when our souls return to God who gave them. While I accept that your faith is one built on the understanding that salvation comes only through belief in Jesus and accepting Him as your Savior, that is not mine, nor is it everyone else’s belief.
In the Jewish faith, we believe that everyone has a place in the world to come, even if they are not the most observant or faithful. It all depends upon the acts of kindness and the repentance that we do in this life. Acting with compassion and doing our best to turn from our sins creates a fertile ground for building a better world here and in the world to come. Our souls are bound up in this life, a life where, as Micah teaches, “God has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
If that is the case, then wouldn’t 2 Peter 3:9, which states that “God is not slow in fulfilling promises, but is patient, and that He does not wish for anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance,” suggest that God is very patient and will embrace all of us? This indicates that we will one day be reunited with our loved ones in heaven and the world to come. I pray that this will be the case.
Rabbi Aaron Gaber
Somerville, Massachusetts
Editor’s note: Rabbi Aaron Gaber served Congregation Beth Judah in Ventnor (2000-2014) and serves as a chaplain in the Army National Guard. He just completed a year-long deployment as a brigade chaplain and major in the Army.
