Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, a quiet man in ancient China dictated 81 verses, which are regarded by many as the ultimate commentary on the nature of our existence. The classic text of these verses, called the Tao Te Ching, or The Great Way, offers advice and guidance that is balanced, moral, practical and spiritual. […]
Mary Oliver says: What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? In Maurice Sendak’s book “Where the Wild Things Are, Max is sent to his room for acting wild. In his room he becomes king of the wild things and they have a great rumpus together. In the end […]
Mark Twain said, “There is nothing more dangerous than a do-gooder”. When doing philanthropic projects in developing countries one needs to be sure he or she is not falling into this trap. Too often projects stifle initiative, create dependency, and leave things worse than they were before the program was initiated. Since 2005, the PowerFlour […]
The Bible is littered with the scandalous acts, beliefs and behaviors that come as a shock to anyone who has been taught to regard the Bible as a single-minded manifesto of virtuous heroes. No biblical literature is more scandalous than the story of this “harlot by the side of the road.” When we finish hearing […]
“The Story of Job” is one of the most important in the Western tradition. It has multiple dimensions: philosophical, literary and religious. Our speakers today will discuss the story from these three perspectives. What significant philosophical problem does the story raise? How is it to be resolved? How is the story to be interpreted? What […]
The need to be right about something is a powerful impulse. But is there ever just one right answer to any of life’s big questions? If what we call facts can be disputed–as they have been and can be–what about ethical, moral, and spiritual values? We liberals are far from immune to the notion that our own […]
There has been much wringing of hands of late over the polarization of American politics. But the problem is hardly restricted to our elected officials. Generally speaking, people seem less willing to put their differences aside and come up with solutions that both parties can live with. Is compromise no longer acceptable? Has it become […]
Unitarian-Universalists tend to be keenly interested in different spiritual paths. We often teach our children in RE about the different world religions. Plus we often hear our ministers deliver sermons about those religions over the years. However, it seems one often-neglected religion/spirituality is Pantheism. But it is a very life-affirming, nature-based religion that could hold […]
Joan of Arc is one of the most important figures in all of French history. She defeated the British in the Hundred Years’ War. She was admired for centuries as an inspirational heroine. She was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1920. But in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Joan […]
Self-reflection and/or Meditation Religion often challenges us to question the life we have lived–to meditate on what we have done with our life, and consider whether we need to be “born again.” This can lead some in their later years to feel depressed and devalued. Zen Buddhist meditation, I think, can be used to avoid […]