Religion

The United States recently celebrated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The authors and signers announced that they were no longer subject to the king of England. They declared they were independent.  I want to mention another word; interdependence. We...

July 28 used to be one of my favorite days of the year. On the Roman Catholic calendar, it is the feast day of a minor saint, Pope Saint Victor I, who was martyred by the Romans around the year 199 AD. Pope Victor...

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...

Dozens of clergy and more than 100 community members gathered Aug. 30 outside the site of a proposed federal immigration detention facility on Holsclaw Road near Gilroy, launching what organizers say will be a monthly series of interfaith prayer vigils opposing the project. The vigil,...

Something new is happening in some Catholic, Lutheran and Episcopal congregations: the Feast of Creation in Christ. We are churches that follow a “liturgical year” with seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost, as well as any number of special feast days...

The past two months have been a painful period in Jewish history. On Oct. 7, as Jews around the world were celebrating the holiday of Simchat Torah—rejoicing with the Torah—the season of darkness arrived early with Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. Now we are...

Every year, on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month, Buddhists worldwide come together to honor Vesak, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha. More than a religious observance, Vesak signifies humanity’s collective journey toward wisdom, compassion and inner...

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...

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed. The Holiday Season is in full swing. The ramp-up started the day after Halloween, thanks to retailers who let us know Christmas is coming and it’s time to get ready! For many Christians though, there’s another season that...

As many around the world celebrate New Year’s Day with fireworks, parties and resolutions, Muslims mark the beginning of their calendar year in a very different way: through quiet reflection, spiritual renewal and remembrance of profound historical events. The Islamic New Year, also known as...