Negative thoughts, be gone! I’m reading the handbook for combatting demons by Evagrius Ponticus, a 4th c. Christian monk. He clearly states that his demons are negative thoughts. And that he talks back to them–in Bible verses. Evagrius’s handbook is very personal. It’s a long list of his own habitual negative thoughts and the verses…
Category: Interfaith
Hope & Solidarity
Hope and Solidarity. Antidotes — we hope — to uncertainty and anxiety. Across Canada, religious communities have come together. How could this solidarity change us for the better? Contribute to a resilient society? Provide better support for those most vulnerable? In this 30-minute panel discussion, three religious leaders explore those questions. This webinar series is…
Love: Fast & Feast Together
Love. A good topic for “Virtual Ramadan,” an inter-faith celebration, hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. I’m a long-time friend of the Baitur Rahman mosque in Delta BC. So, the group invited me to speak. Specifically, about our common Jewish and Islamic traditions of fasting and sacrifice. But with my own interpretation: both are practices…
Moses Lives in You
MOSES. It’s easy to forget him at Passover. The Haggadah, official script for the Seder, doesn’t name him. Instead, it focuses on God. Our one true champion. Pharaoh, on the other hand, plays a huge role. The Seder script begins with a ritual question. “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Then, it…
Vashti: Rome Personified
Vashti. In the Book of Esther, she’s a dignified character. But in rabbinic midrash (commentary), she’s an evil villain. Why? Because she’s code for Christian Rome. Simply a Dignified Royal Let’s start with the plain text of Vashti’s story. Achashverosh rules from Persia to Ethiopia, controlling 127 provinces. He hosts a 180 day feast for…
Pluralism: Does it Deserve the Death Penalty?
Religious Pluralism. Let’s say you’re an advocate. Because traditions develop all over the world. Different rituals, liturgies, and customs awaken different parts of the human spirit. Thus, you think, we can learn from everyone. Let’s say you support multiculturalism. Cultural communities should educate their youth. Listen to their young adults. Encourage local creativity. Celebrate regional pluralism. And, let’s say, you try…
The Lord's Prayer on Tisha B'Av?
What does the Lord’s Prayer have to do with Tisha B’Av? Specifically: what was I thinking when I agreed to to figure it out? To speak at a church, on the Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av, about one phrase of the famous Christian prayer. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). I…
Antisemitism: Beyond Binary Thought
Antisemitism. Apocalypse. Islamophobia. Trauma. Whew! We finished the “Religion and Violence” conference. So much hard stuff! No wonder everyone wanted to talk about nonviolence! Antisemitism Can Hide in a Slogan Students who attended the conference for credit did some extra work. They each wrote a response to a conference paper. So, I did the assignment too. I…
Spiritual Fasting: Everybody's Doing It
Spiritual fasting. That was our study topic at last night’s interfaith iftar. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours. Daily fasts end at sunset with iftar, an evening fast-breaking meal. Last night, the Baitur Rahman Mosque in Delta BC invited the local multi-faith community to their Iftar. They created an evening of learning. Ten speakers…
Havdalah: Your Priestly Responsibility
“Havdalah” means “division.” But the havdalah ritual does not divide Jews — from other traditions or from each other. Before Havdalah at Limmud Vancouver Before the havdalah ritual at Limmud Vancouver, I’ll be presenting on a inter-faith topic. Sacred Texts: Three Religious Traditions in Twenty-Five Words or Less. What can we learn from common themes in Torah,…