According to Wikipedia the oldest known temple devoted to the Roman deity Venus was established on this day in 293 b.c.e.  Venus is the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Her story and that of the Greek Aphrodite are now completely intertwined.  As a Unitarian Universalist I am sympathetic to this syncretistic inclination, and would throw in all goddesses of love, including my favorites Mary and Guanyin. And I suggest today as an appropriate moment to stop and contemplate this... Read more

Where have you been? Out. What were you doing? Nothing. While I know, sometimes bitterly, always with a pang, that not everyone can take some time “off,” I gotta say, it is one wonderful thing. In our little universe we’ve been going great guns for quite a while. Most every day is work and house. And, don’t get me wrong, I love both. But sometimes it is time to stop. Go out. Do nothing. Or, the moral equivalent. When we... Read more

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In the Eastern churches today is marked as the dormition of the Theotokos. In the Roman calendar today is the feast of the assumption of Mary. In the Anglican calendar this day is traditionally marked as the “falling asleep of the blessed virgin Mary,” although there are more than a few Anglicans who hold to some view of physical assumption for our lady. As such she is one of the few biblical characters who by tradition do not die. As... Read more

I notice how today is the 445th anniversary of Michael Servetus’ arrest in Geneva based upon thirty eight allegations of heresy drawn up by Geneva’s spiritual leader, John Calvin. An interesting case. No player is particularly attractive. Servetus appears by all accounts to be a complete jerk, full of himself, and certain of his ideas. And, why, after dodging the Roman Catholic death sentence, he would put himself in Calvin’s hands who had promised to put an end to his... Read more

I don’t know the origins of this visit to Sojiji, one of the two major training temples of Japanese Soto Zen Buddhism, but the visuals, if not the commentary (which is astonishingly bad), are wonderful. The Youtube description says it was filmed in 1959. I’m guessing for BBC or somesuch… Read more

Last night we left the world of the single car household. It was a place we enjoyed for a number of years, and for many reasons, not the least of which was feeling morally superior to our friends. But times change and we really needed to become a two car household. Fortunately an old friend needed to sell a car. So, last night we closed the deal and have become the proud owners of two rather used but serviceable Subarus…... Read more

I love August in our church lives… It’s the time people shop for churches, something I know offends some, as a bit too consumerist; but which I find totally natural and appropriate. Now I agree with the concern that church be approached for services offered and how “what’s in it for me” has a pernicious quality to it. But, you know, that’s where people start. For the most part, anyway. If we who have bought into the church thing, particularly... Read more

One of the more disturbing thoughts that poke into my head late at night is how in the wake of the fall of the Soviet empire at the end of the last century a new political order seems to be sweeping the globe. And, at least in the circles within which I move, there appears to be scant notice… We all, it appears, are aware of the rise of radical Islam. But I think the issues of Israel and Palestine... Read more

I notice how Herman Hesse died on this day in 1962. Only a few years later I would stumble upon a copy of his novel Demien. It was an earth shaking document for me. I’d been schooled in Science Fiction and thought it revolutionary. But with Hesse I found what revolution could really be and the parameters of my mind pushed ever farther. Not long after I read Siddhartha. I have to admit it didn’t influence me as much as... Read more