LANSING, Mich. — On Jan. 24, 2023, Speaker of the House Joe Tate (D-Detroit) appointed state Rep. Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield) to deliver the invocation for the Michigan House of Representatives. Rep. Arbit’s invocation as delivered:
“Growing up in West Bloomfield, I was steeped in the teachings of my Jewish faith and heritage. Judaism holds that each of us is created B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of G-d.
Each of us comes to this House from a different walk of life. And as we seek to advocate for the needs, concerns and interests of each of our 110 districts with faith and fidelity, let us consider that each of us is created B’tzelem Elohim.
And whether you share my faith, another faith or none at all, we all know, that we have been blessed with a remarkable opportunity to shape the destiny of this great state that we love. To fix what is broken, to heal what is wounded.
So every day, let us work relentlessly to see that divine spark within each of us in this Chamber — a spark, which animates our call to serve our fellow Michiganders.
Let us work side-by-side to cultivate collaboration over conflict, healing over hate, dialogue over division, bridges over walls, and yes, people over politics.
I know that nice words alone cannot heal the divides that exist within this House, but deliberate, intentional work and partnership can.
Perhaps then, we can finally work to build a Michigan where every child is raised believing that there are no constraints, no limits on what they can achieve.
A Michigan where every person has a chance to thrive, no matter where you come from, the color of your skin, the ZIP code of your home, how you worship, or who you love!
Whether you believe in one G-d, many gods, or none at all, may this be our destiny in this House, the People’s House.
And together we say: Amen.”
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