What actually happened on the Sunday after Jesus’s death? Just the day before, the body of a crucified Jesus lays in a tomb in a cave, but by the next day he has mysteriously disappeared. Had he gone to heaven to be “seated with God”? Or did he, for at least a short time, remain here on Earth? As it turns out, there is not one story but many stories about what happened after the death of Jesus. One you... Read more
Are you familiar with Kabbalah? It’s an ancient Jewish tradition that interprets the Bible through a mystical lens. Kabbalah first emerged in the late 12th century in Spain and Southern France and offers insights into the nature of God. According to one rabbi, it’s aim is “to guide followers in their spiritual journey, helping them attain greater levels of connectedness with God.” It has been said it can take decades to study and truly comprehend Kabbalah’s lessons. But fortunately, I found... Read more
Is there ever an appropriate time to contemplate your own death? Like grief, death is a topic most of us prefer not to talk about or even think about. Most of us assume our own deaths will happen at some point in the distant future. Yet, as Wayne Dyer once said, the future is promised to no one. Most of us will wait until we are at the brink of death’s door to contemplate death. It might happen after a... Read more
Thomas Moore is one of the greatest spiritual writers of our time. His many books on the soul have both defined and illuminated our understanding of this mysterious and powerful lifeforce that lives within all of us. And for those who classify themselves as SBNR, A Religion of One’s Own should be required reading for those looking to start or enhance a personal spiritual practice. Thomas Moore’s latest book is Soul Therapy. As its title implies, the book explores therapy,... Read more
How are you dealing with the war in Ukraine? Has the constant barrage of negative news left you feeling anxious? Angry? Sick to your stomach? You may have even found yourself talking to God. Wondering why God just won’t put a stop to the death, destruction and mayhem. Where is God in this time of need? A couple of years ago I wrote about The Prayer that Turns Anger into Hope. It seems relevant now. Who among us, at least those... Read more
Is there any more hopeless feeling than watching day after day of news coverage on the war in Ukraine? It’s a soul-wrenching experience and like me, you may have wondered: What can I do? First, the obvious: Like me, you may not be of the ilk to enlist in the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine (though apparently, thousands of non-Ukrainians have). There’s prayer. And, if you have the ability, you can give to charity. Charity Watch is a... Read more
What took place in the years after the death of Jesus? Did his followers immediately begin setting up churches? What religious texts did they use? Did they share a cohesive set of beliefs about Jesus and his message? Was there one leader or many? As it turns out, the early years of Christianity were a wee bit chaotic. Nothing resembling the church or New Testament would exist for hundreds of years. Religious “practices” varied from community to community. There was... Read more
In Western society, we don’t like to talk much about death. It’s something we try to avoid, even though at some point in time it will touch each of our lives and the lives of those we love. The same might be said for death’s close cousin, grief—the deep and seemingly unbearable pain caused by the death of someone close to us. Much like death, grief has no boundaries. It’s something that all of us, no matter our stature in... Read more
What do you want from life? As you grow older and move into the second half of life, have your priorities also changed? Are you satisfied with your current way of living or do you yearn for a more connected, less distracted way of life? These are some of the questions you might find yourself asking upon reading the new book From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. It’s by social scientist Arthur C. Brooks whose popular, standing... Read more
If you’re like me, you’ve long dismissed koans as silly wordplay. I mean, what’s one to make of questions like “What’s the sound of one hand clapping?” To understand them better, I did a little digging and now have a better idea of the concept behind koans—and why some spiritual practitioners find them valuable. Carol Kuruvilla, writing in HuffPost, describes koans as “a riddle or puzzle that Zen Buddhists use during meditation to help unravel greater truths about the world... Read more
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