A lot of years ago when Jan & I first moved to New England’s rocky soil, Jan wanted to go to the Cambridge cemetery to put a rose on Henry James’ grave. I was more than happy to join her as I wanted to put a flower on William’s grave. We bought a small bouquet of roses and drove out to the cemetery which turns out to be just east of the more famous Mt Auburn cemetery. With good directions... Read more

It was on this day in 1793 that the goddess of Reason was proclaimed by the revolutionary French National Convention, beginning the brief run of the Cult of Reason. Her image was installed on the high altar of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. I try to note this day as an interesting eruption of rational religion in the midst of the revolution. Short lived, the atheistic cult of the goddess was suppressed by order of Robespierre who wanted... Read more

Something was in the air. A year before it fell, Bruce Springsteen serenaded the East Berliners. People knew in their bones. Still, it came a shock to the world… When. When… This day twenty-five years ago the East German government announced it would not imprison its citizens. Quickly, quickly, the hated wall came down… Every once in a while the weight of history brings down a wall. Something to reminder. And celebrate… Read more

ON ASPECTS OF THE REFORMATION OF SOTO ZEN BUDDHISM IN NORTH AMERICA An Open Letter to the Leadership and Membership Of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association And all care about the Zen Dharma in the West James Myoun Ford, Osho Senior Guiding Teacher’s Council Boundless Way Zen Dear ones, We live in exciting and dangerous times. Perhaps you’ve noticed. We live in a time of economic disruption, where in North America a new normal seems to be settling in with... Read more

I was quite moved when I saw this photograph of Susan B Anthony’s gravesite and all those “I voted” stickers on her gravestone. We all owe her and those others over the many years who suffered terribly to gain this right. I was just reading some of the analysis of Tuesday election and how the majority of voters were white men. Last I looked that wasn’t what America looks like. So, why is that what the voters look like? I’m... Read more

Of course today is Fireworks Night in Great Britain, also called Guy Fawkes Day or Night. The official holiday celebrates the thwarting of a plot to kill king and parliament. Others, those who are not particularly positively inclined to their governments, celebrate the day in honor of rebellion itself. Inspired by the film V for Vendetta the Guy Fawkes mask was adopted first by the hacktivist group Anonymous, and later by the American Occupy Movement and has become ubiquitous around... Read more

Okay, I’m not afraid of all Christians. Some even, as people like to say, are my best friends. And I mean it… But. I just saw my first Christmas advertisement on television. And it sets me to thinking. Yes, never a good thing. But now that Halloween is over and we are quickly skipping over Thanksgiving and rushing madly into the Christmas season I find myself thinking of the seasonal outrage of so many of those in the majority with... Read more

(Editors’ Note: This article is part of the Patheos Public Square on Politics in the Pulpit. Read other perspectives here.) “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…” The point here is not to protect the state from the church, but to protect the many churches from the state, to prevent co-option of one religion into the state. This is often missed in the contemporary dialogue,... Read more

ONCE I WAS A SKELETON A Homily for Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls James Ishmael Ford 2 November 2014 First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island For us, as children, mostly, of the west, we have inherited the observation of this turning of our planet between autumn and winter within an amazing collection of opportunities to notice. But these days it’s mostly that triple holiday of Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls. We Unitarian Universalists tend to join them into... Read more

Jim Austin the cognitive scientist and Zen practitioner was passing through Providence on his way to one of the Dalai Lama’s brain science conferences to make a presentation. He is a Brown alum, his daughter lives in the vicinity and he’s both an old friend and a friend of our sangha. So, instead of our usual Monday evening sit this week, we set up a lecture. (The Unitarians who love a good conversation about meditation came in droves.) Jim made... Read more