Category Archives: Jewish History/Culture

Passion Week reflections

Passion Week reflections
Passion Week is so called because of the suffering and agony of Christ. Passion is defined in lay terms as “strong and barely controlled emotion.” Our minds cannot fully comprehend nor our hearts understand what was done on our behalf. God longs to be with us, in restored relationship forever, so He purposefully and passionately…
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Drought

Drought
California is largely desert, but that’s easy to forget. In the midst of this desert we grow beautiful green lawns and luscious fruit, all because we bring in water artificially. We fool ourselves … until a drought hits. Israel, too, is mostly desert. Cisterns are dug to catch rain or the occasional flood. But cistern water isn’t fresh.…
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Time to eat

Time to eat
I love to eat. I just enjoy the whole experience - the taste, the savoring, relaxing into the moment and sharing time with friends or family. As I sit at a table with loved ones, our day oozes out until we’ve digested our food, as well as our thoughts and feelings. In most cultures, to…
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Reversal

Reversal
As Purim is celebrated this week it strikes a new tone for me. The events celebrated for thousands of years are recorded in the book of Esther and can seem like an outdated story. But today, like in Esther's time, the Jewish people in Persia face extermination. Jews and Christians across the Middle East face…
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