by Richard Stromer | Nov 26, 2020 | Blessing, Buddhism, Christianity, Gratitude, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Religion, Thanksgiving
The practice of “blessing” is an important aspect of every major religious tradition as well as a variety of secular ones. That said, a case could be made that the giving and receiving of blessings has been part of the human experience since the beginning and is...
by Richard Stromer | Sep 20, 2020 | High Holy Days, Judaism, Spiritual Development, Symbols and Symbolism
The blowing of the Shofar during the Jewish High Holy Days is one of the most ancient religious practices in the world. Dating back to the earliest days of the Jewish People nearly 2,500 years ago, the piercing sound of the Shofar is simultaneously a cry for spiritual...
by Richard Stromer | Aug 4, 2020 | 23rd Psalm, Death, Grief, Love, Music, Spiritual Development, The Mother, The Sacred
The 23rd Psalm is among of the most beloved of Biblical texts. Ministers, priests, rabbis, and above all chaplains are asked to recite this poem countless times over the course of their careers. It’s often the words requested by people facing life’s harshest, most...
by Richard Stromer | Jul 4, 2020 | Arete, Happiness, Spiritual Development, Spirituality, Thomas Jefferson
We hold these truths to be self–evident, That all men are created equal, That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. How many of us, I wonder, learned those memorable words by...
by Richard Stromer | May 31, 2020 | Judaism, Redemption, Tikkun Olam
The Jewish faith, like a number of religious traditions, teaches that our beliefs about the nature of God matter far less than how we treat our fellow creatures. For this reason, such traditions oblige their followers to do whatever they can to fight for greater...
