Religion

The Dhammapada is a Buddhist text that is believed to record the actual words of the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Guatama, better known as the Buddha. It is a collection of sayings of the Buddha. Verse 131 teaches, “All living beings seek happiness.” Throughout our...

I was supposed to be in Israel today. To be precise, this morning, I was going to wake up in a quaint hotel near the Old City of Safed, enjoy a delicious breakfast al fresco while taking in the mountaintop views, tour the Artists' Quarter,...

What if churches around the Bay Area decided to work together across denominational lines to help people explore some of the big questions of faith and life? Thankfully, it is no longer a “what if,” but a reality.  Currently, more than 150 churches around the...

It was Christmas morning, but this Christmas was unlike any before. It was 1914, and thousands of soldiers were in the trenches as World War I was beginning to rage.  Yet, in the midst of the war and conflict, something beautiful emerged. Historians do not...

At the beginning of this year, I am reminded once again of the connection among all people. I heard just a couple of days ago that former President Jimmy Carter believed that there was a spark of the divine in all of us. I...

Jewish teachings emphasize the importance of “rachamim,” which is usually translated as compassion or mercy. We first read about rachamim when it is used in Exodus 34:6-7 in the Hebrew Bible. It is one of the 13 attributes used to describe God. In the...

Through my Interfaith work with the Interfaith CommUNITY of Santa Clara (ICSC) and the Interfaith Clergy Association (ICA) I have many opportunities to engage with many aspects of Interfaith life—its celebration of the diversity of culture, faith expressions, food, music, art and more.   Recently in...

The Interfaith Community of South County offers hope to thousands in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, especially those who may otherwise feel lonely or vulnerable. The kind of trust and respect members of our community have for one another encourages us to love our neighbor,...

I am fascinated by etymologies, the origins of words. As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m thinking about the origin of our English word “thank.” It comes from the P.I.E. (Primitive Indo-European) root tong, to think. Thank is related phonetically to think, as sang is to...

“I needed a place to be with God again. I watched the services on YouTube for a few weeks and decided I was ready. I loved how the service was so clear to me and helped me understand how the community works together. It...