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Category Archives for "God"
Does Religion Cause War?
Deadly images on television tear at our heart. We wish for the violence in Israel to end.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]This land, sacred to three global religions, seems endlessly mired in conflict. Does religion just promote division or hatred? Is it because of its religious significance that Israel remains a place of tension? Or is faith, at its core, a force of peace?
If we listen to most voices in the media and pop culture, we would answer this question without hesitation. Religion is bad, primitive, and dangerous.
We would agree with late writer Christopher Hitchens, who said “The Bible Continue reading
Which Book of the Bible Should You Start With?
The Bible was never meant to be studied alone. This past year, a Christian colleague and I gathered periodically to study. He suggested we explore Deuteronomy.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]The study expanded us both. While we differ in our view of the Old Testament, we both came to see Deuteronomy as strikingly modern. The God it describes is accessible and universal.
The moral vision it presents challenges and enlarges us. The society it reflects resembles our own.
[callout]If you are Christian or a Jew beginning to study the Old Testament, I suggest starting with Deuteronomy. [/callout] Here’s what you might discover. Continue reading
5 Uncomfortable Truths About Your Life
My congregation has nicknamed me the “smiling rabbi.” I was lucky to be born with a happy disposition.
Yet, we all know life is never perfect. Authentic happiness demands we also grapple with the unhappy parts of our character. Perfection, as Jewish wisdom teaches us, is reserved for God.
How To Grapple With Them
I have found that great theater is one of the best ways to grapple with these uncomfortable parts of ourselves. When we do so honestly, we can grow into more loving, wiser human beings. But it can be very hard. Continue reading
Do You Think Christians Needs to Learn More About Judaism?
In the 1970s Alex Haley wrote the best-seller Roots. He sought to find the roots of his life as an African-American. Where did he come from? What experiences shaped who he was?
Pope Francis and one of his best friends, Rabbi Abraham Skorka
We all ask these questions. We seek not only geographic roots and ethnic roots. We look for spiritual roots. Where do we come from? Why do we believe what we believe?
For Christians much of the answer lies in Judaism. Pope Francis recently put it bluntly when he said, “I believe that inter-religious dialogue must investigate the Jewish roots of Christianity and the Christian flowering of Judaism… Inside every Christian is a Jew.”
Continue reading
You Don’t Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right
As a parent I have to teach my children they do not always get their way. It’s not only important. It’s hard.
Our culture reinforces the idea that with enough money or looks or connections, we can get anything we want. Life experience proves otherwise.
None of us get our way all the time. We have to accept the views of others and learn to live and work with them constructively.
The leaders of the American Jewish community need a reminder of this lesson. A recent incident proves why.
What Happened on Wednesday? Continue reading
Can God Make It in Hollywood?
God is now on the Hollywood A-List. With the release over the last month of both Son of God and Noah, studios have clearly bet on the popularity of religious themes. Will they succeed?
The answer depends on what we mean by success. If success is studio profits, the answer is probably yes. Religious themes resonate with Americans. We know the stories and recognize their power.
If success is spiritual growth, however, the answer is no. The purposes of film and faith differ fundamentally. To say a film can teach faith is like saying a great tennis coach would also make a great basketball coach. Continue reading
Are You Married?
“Life is like a wedding.” So Jewish wisdom teaches. What does this mean?
One rabbi says it is the Jewish equivalent of “carpe diem, seize the day, live life to its fullest.” This rabbi points to one of the Hebrew words for wedding, Huppah.
Huppah means wedding, but it also refers to the wedding canopy. A canopy goes up. Then, soon after the marriage ceremony, it is taken down. Our lives are similar.
We are here for a brief period. Then we are no more. During that brief period, we should live as if we are at a wedding, celebrating, making merry, enjoying ourselves with legitimate pleasures.
A More Original Idea Continue reading
How to Believe in God and Science
A year ago Bill Nye and Ken Ham debated God vs. Science. Partisans took their normal sides. What everyone overlooked was that religion and science are not enemies. They are partners.
Date Night With God
A healthy marriage is sustained by consistency. It is not the big moments—the wedding day, the birth of a child, the new home. It is the acts of love and commitment expressed daily, weekly and year after year.
Sustaining them is not always easy. One consistent practice I suggest to young parents is a date night. Too often their lives become consumed by their children’s. (I can attest to it.) Continue reading