Facing Frustration

difference with God, but the anger
will drain pleasure out of the life
of the person who holds on to it.
"Another important point I make
abbi Harold Kushner,
is the idea of seeing people in
as spiritual leader of a
Conservative congrega-
depth so that even if they disap-
tion in Massachusetts, counseled
point and hurt you badly, you need
not give up on them," he explains.
many congregants facing disap-
pointment and coping with the
Kushner, 72, explains that he
takes the Bible seriously but not
ensuing anger.
The rabbi heard about unreal-
literally.
"I take the Bible as a story," he
ized ambitions, failed careers and
says. "When I write a book, I take
unfaithful spouses. Sometimes,
the biblical account as my starting
the problems he heard echoed
point. My book is not
problems he personally
experienced.
one
of biblical schol-
\
I) 1/4-,
Kushner's quest to
arship;
it's a book of
hl
\ I
pastoral guidance using
find solace and offer
it to others led him to
the Bible as a teaching
OVe re°
11
moment."
Moses and how this
biblical hero faced frus-
Other authors appear-
ing with Kushner are
tration by rethinking
Ursula Hegi (The Worst
his purpose and mov-
1)isappointnirriL
Thing I've Done), Tess
ing forward. The result
Garritsen (The Bone
is the rabbi's latest
Garden), Jane Hamilton
book, Overcoming Life's
(When Madeline Was Young) and
Disappointments (Anchor Books;
Lorna Landvik (The View From
$11.95).
Kushner, also author of When
Mount Joy).
Bad Things Happen to Good People
"I don't see a dichotomy
between faith and doubt," Kushner
and Living a Life That Matters,
comments. "I think faith requires
discusses his approach before the
next luncheon of the Metro-Detroit doubt. If there isn't a subtext of
doubt, it isn't faith. It's information.
Book and Author Society. The pro-
"When our son's illness was
gram begins with book signings at
11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 15, at Burton
diagnosed as incurable, I gave up
my faith in a certain definition
Manor in Livonia.
of God. I replaced it with a much
"The central metaphor of the
book is Moses gathering up the
more mature definition. I think
the process of shedding immature
broken pieces [of the first dropped
skins is a process that everybody
set of Commandments] and going
on to forge a second set without
ought to go through." II
forgetting the originals," says
Kushner, one of five speakers.
Tickets: $30. Checks to Book &
"Over the years, I've tried to
Author Tickets, P.O. Box 82013,
teach people about getting over
Rochester Hills, MI 48308-
their anger at God. It's not that
2013. (734) 397-0999, Ext. 154.
the anger is going to make any

Suzanne Chessler

Special to the Jewish News

R

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51