“You and I, hopefully, will grow old, whether we admit it or not.  What confronts us very realistically is the question – what kind of old age will I experience?”

Let’s be honest: the majority of the readers of this blog are probably old.  So this sermon should be of particular interest!

Rabbi Olan acknowledges that things like physical health and financial security are relevant to this question, but he dispenses with them rather quickly, as if to leave them to the experts in those fields.  His expertise is elsewhere.

He considers themes such as mental maturity, life as process, the Biblical tradition of reverence for the old, and the modern idolization of youth – before finally turning to the theme of religion.

“In our youthful enthusiasm we look upon old people as those afraid of death and therefore turning to God.  What we cannot see is that at the end of life, we know how little we really know about the world or ourselves.  The mystery of life grows greater, telling us that there is more to life than we can know with our minds or senses.”

*Written by Joshua Hirsch.*