The Hebrew word for repentance, teshuvah, has three meanings: “turn”, “return”, and “respond.” When we make teshuvah we turn our attention to the present moment; return to our true nature as tzelem elohim, God’s image and likeness manifest in finite time and space; and respond to the needs of the moment in a manner that is holy and good. Repenting sins is more than feeling sorry and changing our behavior; it is an inner revolution (re-volution, re-turning), a transformation of the false self of ego to the True Self of God.
I see it this way: The “me” that causes cannot be the “me” that puts an end to suffering. I cause suffering when my ego overshadows my True Self and I act in according with a limited worldview that places me in competition with other beings. I end suffering when I realize my fundamental unity with all life act for the well-being of all. I will not realize this truth as long as I am viewing the world through the narrow lens of ego. I can only see it if I view the world from the all inclusive lens of my True Self.
Turning from the lens of ego to the lens of Self is a volitional act. I will myself to engage in practices (primarily meditation) that promote that shift of world views. After that, however, it is a matter of grace. I begin the process but God completes it, returning me to my True Self. With this return comes a fresh response to life. No longer acting from the fear driven ego, I become a servant of life rather than its pretended master. I realize that I am the way God takes out the garbage, tips the waiter, makes peace among friends. I respond to life with the immediacy of my life, aligned with justice and compassion. It is in this way that “the wicked abandon their path and the crooked their designs.”
Metivta -- Los Angeles, California
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