America has changed
dramatically since the coronavirus arrived. Not only are we living with a very
dangerous health threat, we are facing very serious economic challenges. No one
has ever faced a “double black swan event”
like this before. A “black swan” is “a major challenge that was completely unexpected.”
Historically, during difficult and uncertain times, people suddenly turn their
attention to God or spirituality. I am already seeing waves of people who never
used to talk about God bring God into discussions about the virus and the
economy. Continue reading at -
One of Jesus’s earliest memories was no doubt watching and listening to his family when they gathered to pray the Shema at sunrise before the day’s work began and after the working work day was over at sunset . He also heard and participated in praying the Shema at their synagogue. He was surrounded by neighbors who also prayed the same prayer in their homes every day. The Hebrew word for prayer is tefilah . It is derived from the root Pe-Lamed-Lamed and the word l'hitpalel, meaning “ to judge oneself .” This surprising word origin provides insight into the purpose of Jewish prayer. The most important part of any Jewish prayer, whether it be a prayer of petition, of thanksgiving, of praise of God, or of confession, is the introspection it provides, the moment that we spend looking inside ourselves, seeing our role in the universe and our relationship to God. [1] Most of Jewish prayers are expressed in the first person plural, "us" instead of "me," an...
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