"Fast away the old year passes ..." "Looking forward to the new year?" the receptionist asked me. We were in one of the doctor's offices where I've spent more of my time this past year than I would have liked. "Sure am!" I replied, in the same sprightly tone. But then the truth-teller … [Read more...]
“Crucify Him!” – The Long Trauma of Easter
Easter. Not my holiday. In an earlier post I've written about how, as a Unitarian Universalist of Jewish heritage, I've taken to celebrating Christmas. Not Easter, though. Too much historical baggage there for me. The Christmas story is warm, inclusive, expansive. The poor Jewish shepherds … [Read more...]
Kris Kringle, Christ Child – Some Outsider Thoughts on Christmas
"And the angels came, did you hear them sing? In the shining light of the maternity wing Sayin' 'People, do not be afraid, Love is new! In the Heart of every child Love is born to you.'" -- Kathleen Hannan, "Every Child" It's that awkward time of year again. When store clerks puzzle over … [Read more...]
Maccabees, Taliban, and the Real Story of Hanukkah
I wrote this "Hanukkah Q&A" ten years ago for a web course on Judaism. Things have changed a lot since then, in the world and in myself. Back then I didn't identify religiously, as I do today, as a Unitarian Universalist of Jewish heritage. But when I wrote, "there's no holy book, ours or … [Read more...]
