for those for whom 5771 means something
While I realize Frank's antipathy towards organized religion -- and I must say that my motto has always been that one cannot understand reverence without a healthy dose of irreverence (and Frank supplied that to me in abundance) I know that there are many fans of Frank's and Dweezil's that hew to a different take on faith (myself included, as a rabbi and a rabid Zappa fan). So for those who care, allow me to send a message concerning this new year of 5771 as counted in the Hebrew calendar:
We cannot merely pray to You, O God to end war;
For we know that You have made the world in a way
That we must find our own path to peace
Within ourselves and with our neighbors.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end starvation;
For You have already given us the resources
With which to feed the entire world,
If we would only use them wisely.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to root out prejudice;
For You have already given us eyes
With which to see the good in all,
If we would only use our eyes rightly.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end despair;
For You have already given us the power
To clear away slums and to give hope,
If we would use our power justly.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end disease;
For You have already given us great minds
With which to search out cures and healings,
If we would only use them constructively.
Therefore, we pray to You instead, O God,
For strength, determination, and willpower,
To do instead of just to pray,
To become instead of merely to wish.
We pray that this New Year challenges us all
"TO DO INSTEAD OF JUST TO PRAY - TO BECOME INSTEAD OF MERELY TO WISH"
With our hopes that you have a wonderful and sweet New Year!
Rabbi Gary B-G
Amen Brother!