I have chosen to re-write Reinhold Niebuhr’s “Serenity Prayer” with this in mind: that the entire Jewish moral system is based foremost on the notion that we are made in the image of G-d and that our relationship to ourselves both reflects and sets the standard for how we must live.
“The Affinity Prayer” speaks to this connection because the liking of oneself reflects the liking of G-d and because attention to the right relationship to ourselves reflects likeness of G-d. This is what Jews, by means of honoring our individuality, are called on to pursue.Â
G-d, grant me the affinity to accept myself as I am, the courage to separate who I am from what others expect from me, and the wisdom to know the difference.
