Negative thoughts, be gone! I’m reading the handbook for combatting demons by Evagrius Ponticus, a 4th c. Christian monk. He…
Category: Interfaith
Hope & Solidarity
Hope and Solidarity. Antidotes — we hope — to uncertainty and anxiety. Across Canada, religious communities have come together. How…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
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…
Antisemitism: Beyond Binary Thought
Antisemitism. Apocalypse. Islamophobia. Trauma. Whew! We finished the “Religion and Violence” conference. So much hard stuff! No wonder everyone wanted…
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…