Religion

Prayer takes on different forms in different religious expressions. Prayers are chanted, spoken or sung. Prayers are spoken aloud or uttered more silently.  One of the notable expressions of prayer in Christianity is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked, “Lord, teach us to...

At the beginning of this year, I am reminded once again of the connection among all people. I heard just a couple of days ago that former President Jimmy Carter believed that there was a spark of the divine in all of us. I...

If you were told to repent the day before you die, when should you start repenting? Right now!  Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (10 days apart) are the Jewish High Holy Days. Observance includes communal prayer, food (such as apples dipped in honey for a...

This time of year, many of us think about going back to school, for ourselves or for our children or grandchildren. There are all sorts of questions: Who is taking children to school? Do we have the correct supplies? Who is making the lunches?...

Gilroy Life goes online only for rest of year Local news publication Gilroy Life has ceased printing its paper edition until the end of this year following the September death of publisher Marty Cheek, according to Gilroy Life editor Robert Airoldi. The publication will continue...

“Fear not, says the Lord” (Isaiah 41:10, 43:1) is a well-known Bible verse offering comfort and strength to believing Christians who are assured that God is with them in presence, protection and power to help overcome fear, distress and difficult situations.  The phrase “Fear not”...

Think about a time in your life where you displayed courage. What gave you the strength to engage in this action? The Latin root of the word courage is “cor” which means heart. In Judaism, the name for courage is Ometz Lev—Heart Strength.  In a few...

A few of you may have noticed the curious-looking structure that popped up outside my home recently. No, we did not embark on an overnight house expansion project. What you saw is our sukkah—a temporary structure that is the highlight of the weeklong holiday...

P.T. Barnum famously said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” What he meant by that was that it doesn’t matter as much what people are saying about you as long as they’re talking about you. The worst feeling is not when someone speaks...

The word “foreigner” gets bandied around a lot in the news. Often, it’s a term reserved for people from another country, but it’s frequently used to describe anyone who looks or acts differently.   I want to share my own experience with a foreigner in Morgan...