Faith In The Journey Blog | Faith In The Journey

Love is the Bridge

by Richard Stromer | April 17, 2022 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Often when I reflect on the arrival of Covid-19 on our shores, my mind turns to the last cataclysmic tragedy which gripped the consciousness of America: the heartbreaking events of September 11, 2000. As happened then, the pandemic has left us once again seeking...

In Praise of the Wise Fool

by Richard Stromer | February 28, 2022 | Archetypes, Faith, The Fool | 0 Comments

"The Fool who persists in his folly will become wise." (William Blake) Few archetypal images are as perennial and ubiquitous as that of the Fool. Some variation of this character has appeared in the stories and myths of virtually...

The Rebirth of the Light

by Richard Stromer | December 17, 2021 | Newgrange, Rebirth, Spirituality, Winter Solstice | 0 Comments

Imagine yourself centuries ago in a climate zone not unlike that of Europe. Harvest time is long past; the winter is upon you. The temperature turns steadily colder, the days grow steadily shorter, and the nights grow steadily longer. It will likely be many months...

Trembling in Awe

by Richard Stromer | September 5, 2021 | Awe, High Holy Days, Judaism, Spiritual Development, Spirituality, Symbols and Symbolism, The Sacred | 0 Comments

The blowing of the Shofar – a traditional instrument made from the horn of a ram -- is one of the most ancient religious practices in the world, dating back to the earliest days of the Jewish People nearly two and half millennia ago. Hearing the Shofar is one of my...

“The Wizard of Oz” as Personal Myth

by Richard Stromer | July 27, 2021 | Fiction, Hero's Journey, Journey, Movies, Personal Mythology, Spirituality | 0 Comments

The Wizard of Oz is undoubtedly one of the greatest of America’s cultural icons. In addition to its fame as a classic of pop culture, the film is also considered among the greatest cinematic works of all time. For example, The Wizard of Oz was selected in 1989 by the...

The Practice of Reverence

by Richard Stromer | June 19, 2021 | Reverence, Spirituality, The Sacred | 0 Comments

I think I've always yearned to experience reverence, even before I had any notion of what the source or object of that reverence might be. Reverence is related to a number of perennial spiritual virtues, such as humility, wonder, and awe. That said, a case can be made...

Seeking the Sacred: Ultimate Concern

by Richard Stromer | April 30, 2021 | Carl Jung, Individuation, Jungian Psychology, Paul Tillich, Religion, Spirituality, The Sacred, Ultimate Concern | 0 Comments

As I’ve observed before in my postings at Faith in the Journey, when writing about religious or spiritual matters from a more diverse and inclusive perspective it’s important to avoid conventional theological language. This is essential because particular beliefs...

Renewal and Rebirth

by Richard Stromer | March 29, 2021 | Christianity, Democracy, Easter, Judaism, Liberation, Passover, Rebirth, Renewal, Spring | 0 Comments

Last Friday I marked an auspicious event. Having passed the two weeks following my second Covid vaccination, I was now deemed to have achieved the vaccine’s full protection. To celebrate what felt like a most special day, I did something I hadn’t done for over a year....

Fiddler on the Roof and the Value of Tradition

by Richard Stromer | February 24, 2021 | Judaism, Music, Tradition | 0 Comments

Fiddler on the Roof premiered on the evening of September 22, 1964, at Broadway’s Imperial Theater. The original Broadway production was the first in history to surpass 3,000 performances and held the record for longest-running musical for nearly a decade. In the more...

Rekindling the Light

by Richard Stromer | December 21, 2020 | Symbols and Symbolism, Winter Solstice | 0 Comments

As I’ve reflected on the mythological and archetypal roots of the symbols associated with the Winter Solstice, something that has continued to fascinate me is the way the central images associated with this season all point back again and again to one central,...