Even before the Russian invasion, the Lord had begun to show me Ukraine in the prophecies of Jeremiah. The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” Jeremiah 1:11–12 This almond tree will help us unlock Jeremiah’s prophecies about Ukraine. One of the things we know... Read more
In a synagogue in the western Ukrainian city of Uman, two people are worshipping in the cold and darkness. Read more
Deceiving others may not be clearly wrong, and God himself has given an example of when it may be okay to tell a lie. Read more
According to the Bible a false prophet is one who pretends to speak for God but in reality speaks for himself and is moved by his own intentions, emotions and political commitments. (Jeremiah 14:13–15; 23; Ezekiel 13:2, 3, 10, 11). Unlike Prophet Jeremiah, who had at least three false prophet antagonists; Ahab (Jeremiah 29:21), Azur (Jeremiah 28:1), and Hananiah (Jeremiah 28:5) Prophet Muhammad had lots of enemies in Macca, but none of them were false prophets of the one and... Read more
The pandemic is overwhelming and disorienting. There are certain things you can do– wash your hands, follow guidelines for social distancing, cough into the crook of your elbow. Still, the enormity of the problem and the dramatic changes it has wrought in our lives has left many of us feeling out of control. To cope with the crisis, some binge-watch Netflix or eat pints of ice cream. Others check their phone’s news feed 17 times a day or buy toilet... Read more
Last Friday morning (March 27), approximately 100 students, faculty, and staff from Hebrew College, Boston College, and Boston University gathered virtually for the third annual “Preparing Our Hearts for Passover & Easter” program. As in past years, the event was designed to provide future spiritual and ethical leaders the opportunity to reflect on the personal and professional dimensions of these holy seasons, doing so in dialogue with peers and teachers from different denominational and religious communities. Of course, this year’s... Read more
In December 1964, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther Ling, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In his laureate lecture, Dr. King spoke of a “world house,” calling on his listeners to embrace a vision of humankind as interconnected and interdependent. The great Civil Rights leader argued that people had become “unduly separated in ideas, culture and interest,” and that because “we can never again live apart, [we] must learn somehow to live with each other in peace.” Dr. King’s... Read more
In December, when the dark nights grow longer and longer, Jews throughout the world kindle the candles of Hanukah: an eight day celebration of the human miracle of religious fortitude, faithfulness, hope and perseverance; and power of faith and trust in God in overcoming disappointment, despair and defeat during years of oppression and persecution. Hanukah (December 22-30/2019 this year) is the story of two Jewish struggles: the lesser military one—a 25 year long, off and on war, ending in a... Read more
Training people to view their own life positively is increasingly important, especially because many people form all kinds of negative attitudes about life based on the news media’s constant emphasis on all the world’s evils and tragedies. It is obvious that we all will suffer the loss of people we love to the inevitability of death. This is painful and sorrowful. Everyone also fears having a serious illness and their own eventual death. Today, fears, depression, anxiety, and frustration, create... Read more
When Jews and Christians watch video of the Muslim Hajj from August 9 to August 14, plus the 3-day celebration of Eid al-Adha, very few of them will see the connection between Makka’s Hajj and Jerusalem’s three pilgrimage festivals, especially the eight day holiday of Sukkot/Shemine Ahtsreret. Read more
