I noticed that the reactions, chuckles, to our costumes were much greater when we stood together. In other words, people found the humor and thought provoking aspect of a Nun & Chassid much more than either of us individually.
That got me thinking. And an irony came to mind. Why is the image of two highly faithful people who both believe in ONE G-d also sharing one love, so strange? That is the unexpected humor found in Mary and my costumes.
This reminded me of our "bar names." Long before I decided to elevate my middle name Jonah to daily use, Mary and I would use our middle names, just for fun, when we were out by ourselves to a bar and found ourselves talking with others. We would introduce ourselves as Jonah & Theresa. We found it funny and it seemed to make us more intriguing, or so we thought. It seemed to lead to conversation. Who knows if it did! But we felt like we were playing little fantasy game and not being "Bob & Mary" seemed to kick it off.
Thinking about this now, there is a parallel. The same unexpected humor. The same irony. A concept that is universal and which raises a question for the ages. Why don't we live together in peace. An ideal captured perfectly by Bob Marley in his hit song, One Love.
Here are the lyrics:
One Love by Bob Marley (Catch a little trivia point at the end.)
One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One love)
Hear the children crying (One heart)
Sayin', "Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Sayin', "Let's get together and feel all right
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (one love)
There is one question I'd really love to ask (one heart)
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?
Believe me
One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
As it was in the beginning (one love)
So shall it be in the end (one heart)
Alright, give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let's get together and feel all right
One more thing
Let's get together to fight this Holy Armageddon (one love)
So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom (one song)
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
There ain't no hiding place from the Father of Creation
Sayin', one love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
I'm pleading to mankind (one love)
Oh, Lord (one heart) whoa
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let's get together and feel all right
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let's get together and feel all right
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The "heritage” of Judaidm in Jamaica might be synonymous with Rastafarianism. In fact, Rastafarianism is inextricably intertwined with Judaism: the religion’s messiah, the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, claimed descendance from King Solomon and it shares symbols like the Lion of Judah and kosher laws.
