A Jewish Dialogue with Howard Thurman: Mysticism, Compassion, And Community

Forged in the crucible of a rural, segregated African-American community in Florida, and nourished by closeness to the Divine Presence, the spirituality of Howard Thurman (1899-1981) is governed by a deep, abiding inwardness, a solitary relation with God, which nourishes responsiveness to other people. He was a mystic who translated "the experience of love" into realistic, dynamic connections with fellow human beings. His ethical gift did not necessarily lead to social action, however. By temperament Thurman was not a militant. Solitude remained his distinctive mark and the slow, introverted flow of his written and spoken meditations appeals to our essential loneliness, probing our tender spots, allowing us to face pain and disenchantment with a gentle courage. (1) Dialogue was Thurman's essential mode of communication, one to one conversation, which he might then translate into prayers, sermons, meditations, or other public utterances. (2) I was privileged to know Howard Thurman--and Mrs. Sue Bailey Thurman, whose vivid independence completed her husband's optimism with a sharp critical edge. To help convey my particularly Jewish response to his thought, I share one intimate conversation with him.