Commentary

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.

During our recent stay with family in Honolulu, it rained most days. This was fine with my wife and I as we then took the time to learn a bit about Hawaii’s birds, people and mahu power.

To secure his sixth turn as prime minister, Netanyahu has forged a coalition with Israel’s most extreme political and religious interests. His retainers support settlement expansion on the West Bank further aggravating relations with Israeli Palestinians and prompting new violence.

One Sunday morning 70 years ago I started to recite the Apostles’ Creed with everyone else In church, but was suddenly unable to say “I believe.” I didn’t believe. There was no point lying to God — if He existed. Thus began my dozen years of agnosticism. I didn’t believe, but neither did I deny God’s existence.

In his book “Omnipotence and Other Theological Mistakes,” process theologian Charles Hartshorne argues that the doctrine that God causes all things and events is a projection of the worship of all-powerful rulers. Alfred North Whitehead, the other great process philosopher agrees: “The deeper idolatry, of fashioning God in the image of the Egyptian, Persian, and Roman imperial rulers, was retained. The Church gave unto God the attributes which belonged exclusively to Caesar.”

The Orthodox faith is not a religion; it is "a way of life" with guideposts to aid in each person's journey of life experiences. The will of God for us is to become more like Him by His grace and mercy and, should be understood by all, that a Christian is always a work in progress.