Religion

While on vacation this summer, one morning my husband and I awoke to a loud alarm. Within seconds we realized the sound was coming from outside and was a fire alarm. We quickly left our room and went to the hotel front desk. We...

Do Islam and Judaism have anything in common? Are they two religions that are radically different and at constant odds? There is a common perception that Muslims and Jews have been at odds for hundreds of years.  These two faiths share more in common than...

From the earliest colonial days of America, there emerged an ethic of honest labor and craftsmanship. From farmers to silversmiths and makers of furniture, household implements and tools, there was a value on both the humanity and honor of work.  Yet, by the end of...

The Interfaith Clergy Alliance of South County, whose members provide these articles each week, includes Jews, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. All but the Buddhist share a common scriptural text, what Christians call the Old Testament and what Jews call the Tanakh.  In this, they are...

Our world has become a global village.  No longer do we need to go to “exotic” lands to encounter the splendor of the faith traditions of humankind. Our cities, villages and neighborhoods are now populated with the peoples of the world. This rich and emerging...

We’re about to celebrate one of my most favorite Jewish holidays: Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, which begins Dec. 18 and runs through Dec. 26. It’s my favorite because more than any other Jewish holiday, Chanukah is all about celebrating our freedom to live proudly...

If you have to leave your home quickly, what would you bring? For some of us, this is not a theoretical question. Recent floods and past fires have necessitated speedy departures for safety. Thousands of years ago, the Jews left quickly from slavery in...

Methodists have long been known as “a singing people.” I am not a good singer, but I can say that I am a passionate and, hopefully in God’s ears, a beautiful singer. Singing is one of the important parts of my life and in...

In the summer of 1975, my friends and I built a treehouse in a large tree located in an open field near our homes. This was the best place to be a kid. All of the neighborhood hung out there. During that same summer, there...

“Follow your dream—you can do it!” That is the encouragement often offered to children, to youth and to adults in our lives. It is an encouragement to be bold, to pursue their dreams and to persist through difficulties. But what is that dream? What is...