Most mothers hope to influence their children in ways that reflect their values, ethics, beliefs, hopes and dreams. But how does being a mother influence the mother’s values, ethics, beliefs, hopes and dreams? 

What do the New Testament Book of Revelation, Northwest BachFest, Albrecht Dürer, Olivier Messiaen and wine have in common? They all came together on February 25 at Barrister Winery when Zuill Bailey, Artistic Director of Northwest BachFest and three phenomenal musicians performed Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time.

It’s that time of year — the “love” holiday is just around the corner — Valentine’s Day. I’ve never been a fan of this made-up excuse to entice (pressure?) people (mostly men) to spend silly amounts of money on silly things to prove just how loved their partner is. There are saccharine words and images on cards, pounds of candy, overpriced, crowded and understaffed restaurants selling a night of romance and ostentatious displays of flowers, worst of all, delivered to the partner’s place of work.

Evil is an ineradicable part of the human condition. It is part of who we are. It is one of the inevitable consequences of human freewill. Evil is here to stay.

Who, what or where are those sacraments in my life? Can I identify the outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace that are manifest in my daily existence? How do they function to transform me and my interactions with the wider-world?

I reject the existence of an all-powerful and all-knowing god if it means abandoning human free will. But does rejecting the god of supernatural theism require the rejection of the reality of god in its entirety? No. But it does require a different understanding of the reality of god and the characteristics of omnipotence and omniscience.