Religion

A special time of the year for millions of Muslims worldwide began in the first week of March 2024, the Islamic month of Ramadan.  Ramadan is the ninth month and holiest month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is a time of festivity, community, charity and...

World religions have more in common than most people imagine. A very basic tenet of every religion is what we call The Golden Rule. It is so well known, that even some who claim no religion at all know it: “Do Unto Others As...

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...

I learned long ago that I prefer to work, play and live by planning things out, studying ideas in my mind, and then embarking on a journey to achieve whatever it is that I set out to accomplish. Even at a young age, when friends...

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...

These are difficult times. The world has seen worse, but there is no denying the fear, the sadness and the general feeling of desperation that has become so prevalent these days.  In a recent article in The Atlantic, David Brooks writes that the “percentage of...

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...

“Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for one’s own crime shall a person be put to death.”  — Deuteronomy 24:16  This injunction in the Book of Deuteronomy is a reversal...

We are experiencing a lot of fear these days.  Sometimes fear is legitimate and real. Other times, our fears are overblown and irrational. We call these kinds of fears phobias. The fear of immigrants coming into our country is a phobia, that is, an irrational fear. Some running for...

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...