Coming back to life
Who is this calling to us? “Coming Back to Life” is a song from Pink Floyd’s 1994 album The Division Bell, credited to David Gilmour. The lyrics and the haunting melody and rhythms that infuse them with mystery and power have long been a subject of awe and speculation among Pink Floyd devotees. There is a presence and aura to the work that seems to reach across from the prophetic realm of the great beyond. Could this be a message for our times, waiting for its fulfillment in our midst? Who is this who was “burned and broken” and yet yearned over us with such...
Read MoreTemple in Jerusalem
UN Acknowledges Temple Mount History United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave an interview with Israel Radio on Friday, January 27, in which he said, among other things, that it is “completely clear that the Temple that the Romans destroyed in Jerusalem was a Jewish temple.” The Secretary-General’s comments stand in stark contrast to an action taken in the United Nations about 4 months ago in which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted a resolution pushed by Palestinians that Jewish people have zero ties to the...
Read MoreLife vs. Death
Cleanness vs. Uncleanness in Leviticus According to the Introduction to Leviticus in the English Standard Version Study Bible, “Another interpretative issue is how one should understand various concepts such as uncleanness, cleanness, and holiness. Great debate accompanies this issue, for the simple reason that Leviticus often provides various laws concerning cleanness and uncleanness without giving an explicit rationale of why something or someone is clean or unclean (e.g., Chapter 12). “Traditionally, commentators have thought that the rationale behind these rules was to be...
Read MoreBlack Lives Matter
Most of us have heard and watched reports about activities carried out in the name of Black Lives Matter. Some have participated. Others have observed with varying degrees of sympathy or concern. Right now, in the midst of our national celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy, it may be appropriate to examine whether Black Lives Matter is building upon the same spiritual foundation laid by Martin over 50 years ago. The Creation of a Movement In the words of Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter: I created #BlackLivesMatter with Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi,...
Read More19th Ward MLK Celebrations
2017 Neighborhood Events The first event is on January 14, 2017, 12-1 pm at Arnett Library with a tribute to King with the 19th Ward Youth Choir and guest speaker Willie Lightfoot. Then on January 16, 6-8 pm join us for candle lighting throughout the neighborhood and Hot Spots. Open your door in 2017 sign up for Hot Spot; this is a social gathering serving a hot beverage and maybe cookies to your neighbors and sharing your thoughts on legacy of King. We will have a limited supply of Luminary kits available for pick up January 14 at the MLK celebration at Arnett Library and from the 19th Ward...
Read MoreRoman Philosophies
Education and Philosophy* Most people in the ancient Roman Empire could not afford an extensive education. Slaves were trained for their specific duties; the poor continued in family agrarian life or were apprenticed to a specific craft. However, education was central to the Hellenistic ideal. Formal education was generally private. Certain slaves, called pedagogues, could be responsible for overseeing the education of their master’s children through hiring teachers. That teacher would educate the children in a set curriculum, including reading and writing, literature, mathematics, Greek...
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