hope

Desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.

I just finished Philip Roth's "The Conversion of the Jews" - one of the short stories included in his book "Goodbye, Columbus." It's the story of a young Jewish boy who asks one too many questions about all the wrong things.

And it helped me realize my biggest "problem" with Christianity.

It's not the beliefs or the scriptures themselves, but rather, the attitude and mindset that comes along with the adoption of those beliefs and scriptures. With the messiah discovered and the mystery of the savior's identity solved, I feel that Christians have a tendency to diminish the value of the journey by focusing too much on the prize at the end.

Judaism, especially the Lubavitch and other conservative sects, appeals to me more, at least in this manner. I had the opportunity to film a radio interview with Tufts English professor Stephanie Levine during the Spring 2006 semester. As the author of the 2004 Mystics, Mavericks, And Merrymakers: An Intimate Journey Among Hasidic Girls (Amazon link), she completed her research for her book by spending a year in the Brooklyn Crown Heights Lubavitch community.

I have not read the book yet, but I did gain a lot from sitting in on the interview. Most importantly, I learned about the Lubavitch Jews' overall mystical outlook on the world. Still in search of their savior, they are amazingly open to the infinite possibilities that face them. And I feel that optimism almost always accompanies this. If not, it at least keeps the Jews on their toes, asking questions - not only living and learning, but adding to what we've got.

There's something there that I just don't see in Christianity. Something I find essential to the well-being and growth of mankind. (Sorry if that sounds super cheesy.)

We don't understand the world completely, but instead of flat-out accepting that total comprehension is impossible and humbly conceding our modest position, we should keep probing and attempting to make a difference.

The truth isn't necessarily clear... is it?

(Yes, I am making sweeping generalizations here. Please do not be offended. These are just my personal feelings about Christian and Jewish psychologies, and to organize my thoughts and present them somewhat coherently, I had to make some leaps. Also, I am not "anti-Christian" or anything of that sort - I believe that all the major faiths are greatly beneficial and I applaud those who do choose to lead a healthy religious life.)