I would like to respond to a question posed by a comment on my recent post asking about the Pope. Well, two questions actually. And the reason I am devoting space to it here, is because I think that they are good questions.

Here they are:

“How will Jews who have rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior know when their savior comes?” And, “What is the end game for Jews and how will they know when it arrives?”

Let me begin by reiterating that I am by no means any type of authority on Judaism. I’m just a girl who in my early years, repelled the thought of any type of religious education. I did have a Bat Mitzvah, but only after my parents had to foot the bill for a private tutor. I was kicked out of my temple’s religious school for being “disruptive” and “too social”.

My interest in religion now is directly related to raising my children and indirectly related to the fact that I feel more compelled to preserve Jewish traditions since moving to St. Louis seven years ago. (I grew up in a very Jewish community in Chicago; I definitely feel like a minority here).

So, back to those provocative questions. I will answer them from my own personal perspective.

I am not waiting for any savior. I am waiting, and wanting, the world to be a more peaceful place, for hunger to end, for suffering to be alleviated, for diseases to be cured, etcetera. And I really don’t think all that much about the “end game”.

I think about raising my children to be productive, responsible and compassionate people. I think about nurturing my marriage. I think about helping to promote a healthy and fit lifestyle for my Pilates clients. I think about teaching the teen girls in my youth groups to have confidence in themselves and to make Jewish teachings relevant in their lives. I think about being a good wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, teacher and student.

I try to live in the present. Life is too short. Life is too fragile. I learned the importance of this when my father-in-law passed away too soon at 58.

So again, I speak only for myself and not other Jews. But for me, I have too many wonderful things in my life now to worry about the end.

A couple of notes to the commenter:

I truly did not mean to be condescending in any way. And, you are right, I do not feel the need to be politically correct because it would greatly limit the illuminating discussions to be had.

**The photo is of murals depicting my father-in-law, Bill Wallis (Cuba, Missouri).