“All the religious teaching in the world is of no avail unless a man’s action is worthy of imitation by his child.”

Rabbi Olan’s theme in this sermon, delivered on March 29, 1970 (and one of his last radio sermons), is that we as a community are all responsible for injustice but we all have the potential to be part of better solutions.  He thus rejects both escapism (I didn’t do it and it doesn’t affect me) and cynicism and helplessness (“What can little I do that will make any difference?”  Nothing can be done.).

The sermon begins with the story of King Saul and the Witch of Endor (I Samuel) and ends with the story of Rosa Parks.  Saul expelled necromancers from Israel, but when he was worried about the outcome of a battle, he ordered his men to find a witch who could call up the spirit of the prophet Samuel so that the king could consult it and learn what would happen.  He went from being a reformer to being a user of the same  unholy magic that he had driven out.

Rabbi Olan recognizes that we all fall short of our ideals in this way.  He challenges his audience to reflect on how they (and he) live in relative comfort while other people live in poverty in India… and in Dallas.  He takes the position that we are all responsible for poverty and slums, even if we do not profit from them directly.

“What can I, one little creature, do about… war, bigotry, poverty and so many other [problems]?”  Rabbi Olan’s answer (following Emmanuel Kant) is that even if no one individual can solve the “gigantic” problems of our time, we can all model behavior that would make a difference if enough people did the same. 

In keeping with that thought, Rabbi Olan ends with the story of Rosa Parks: just as we share collective responsibility for the failure of the community to treat all of its members justly, so we are all capable to making a positive difference even through our individual actions.  Rosa Parks had the training and support of the civil rights movement, but in the moment, she was just one woman when she had the courage to cross the color barrier on a Montgomery bus.  In refusing to give up her seat in the white-only section of the bus, at great personal risk she contributed to tikkun olam, the healing of the world.

*Written by Lionel S. Joseph and Frances M. Olan*