The Dance of the Dolphin: Finding Prayer, Perspective and Meaning in the Stories of Our Lives

We live in two seemingly incompatible worlds—rational and spiritual. How can we keep our balance? Like the dolphin who exists in both water and air, so must we learn to live and thrive in two conflicting worlds—the rational, material, everyday craziness of life versus the still, spiritual soulfulness of our deepest selves. Balancing the two—difficult as it often can be—is the key to our spiritual survival. Through poignant stories, spiritual teaching and insights, Karyn Kedar shares with us the ways we can integrate the everyday—family, work, personal challenges—with our quest for deeper spiritual understanding. She helps us to decode the three “languages” we must learn to weave the seemingly ordinary and extraordinary together: Prayer—The path through which our souls connect with the Divine. Perspective—How we define life’s twists and turns, and how our words and actions define the quality of our lives. Meaning—The quest to understand and make sense of all that seems incompatible. In graceful ways, Kedar shows us that by realizing the connection between the ordinary and the awe-inspiring, we can synchronize our hearts with the ways of the world and live with joy, a sense of calm and greater purpose.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Imagining the Dance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Prayer: The Language of the Spirit The Iron Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Navigating the Heavens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Meditation on the Beach of Boca Raton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 And Then There Was Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Mystery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Communal Prayer: The Philosophy of the Minyan . . . . . . . . . 32 May the Words of My Mouth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Perspective: The Language of Thought Choice as a Spiritual Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Envision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Memory: Life Retold or Unlearned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Reflection, Then Reaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Lingering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Change for the Sake of Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Meaning Searching for Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Shema: Listening Is the Language of the Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Yisrael: Struggling with Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad: All Is One . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Noticing the Invisible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Passion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Divine Discontent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Mortality Demands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

About the Author :
Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar teaches matters of the spirit to groups throughout the U.S. She is senior rabbi at Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in the Chicago area, and the inspiring author of The Bridge to Forgiveness: Stories and Prayers for Finding God and Restoring Wholeness; Our Dance with God: Finding Prayer, Perspective and Meaning in the Stories of Our Lives and God Whispers: Stories of the Soul, Lessons of the Heart and contributed to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism—Yizkor; Who by Fire, Who by Water—Un'taneh Tokef and All These Vows—Kol Nidre (all Jewish Lights).