Religion

My dear wife recently gave birth to our daughter Mushka on July 23, bringing another blessing into our family and into the world. In honor of this joyous occasion, allow me to share some thoughts on the significance of having a child. Judaism places a...

The MLK Jr. Interfaith Service at St. Mary’s in Gilroy earlier this month was a beautiful example of why different faith traditions bother to take the time to come together when we are so different. The truth is that our differences can make our...

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...

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...

The beginning of the Liturgical Year for Eastern Orthodox Christians is Sept. 1. In 1989, the Patriarch of Constantinople declared it the Day of Prayer for Creation and asked people throughout the world to observe it as such. It was later extended to an...

My wife and I just celebrated the tenth anniversary of our move to Morgan Hill. We arrived in town as newlyweds. Three homes, four kids and countless Andy’s Orchard peaches later we continue to feel an immense gratitude for our South County community. As I’ve...

The Dhammapada, a collection of sayings of the Buddha, is one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. In the Dhammapada, Verse 277, we find this lesson: “All conditioned phenomena are impermanent;” when one sees this with insight-wisdom, one becomes weary of...

Rituals are a series of actions or types of behavior regularly and invariably followed by someone. Rituals are a part of every person’s everyday life. Everyday rituals are about things like setting or not setting your alarm clock, always having that first cup of...

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...

When March 1 arrives, I always think of spring. I know that the official start of spring is later in the month of March, but for me spring is here at the beginning of March. I grew up in the south, and when March...