More Reflections on Alex's Bar Mitzvah

Being still on a high from being at Alex’s bar mitzvah, definitely let me be beyond happy at the gala. The event was great and beautiful. It was, for me, a turning point in that I now know that God exists. Being there stands certainly as the moment everything changed. For my whole life I wasn’t sure God was real, and if he was, why did he stick me in this stupid body? But that day I felt the deepest, most profound love surrounding me. It had nothing to do with people’s love or faiths. It was way more than that. 


Having to let myself consider that God is real is actually hard for me. Being doubtful has been my norm. I am being honest when I say that I am a skeptic about most things. Getting down to it, God’s existence was the least likely of all. 

But several things have happened which I’ve witnessed that have led me to change my mind. That day at the synagogue is transformative. Being there defies anything I’ve experienced in my life. Certainly there was something that called to people that day. 

For the entire service, which was over two hours, there was virtual silence. Fifteen or so nonspeakers had zero OCD or anxiety at all. All report feeling pure happiness and love. All report feeling their minds and bodies relax in a way they’ve never felt before. And all, including me, report feeling a presence that defies description. Wishful thinking doesn’t explain the facts.

Having that feeling once was enough to convince even a skeptic like me. Calling that day the most beautiful of my life is a drastic understatement. For all of us, it changed everything. That point bears the utterly certain feeling that God exists.