I have a pet. For this week’s column, I was planning to write about Donald Trump and anti-Semitism, or Donald Trump and his tax returns, or Donald Trump and the various criminal investigations that have him in the cross hairs. But I have a pet. And it is hard to muster energy for yet another Trump rant when my new cat is asleep in my lap.

“No matter how badly we all disagree with each other on this planet, I think we should first mutually figure out how not to destroy ourselves, and then take it from there.,” Pope said. “Every column I have posted on FāVS has in some way been informed by my homeless experience. Homelessness has a way of changing one's life-priorities.”

The Bible promises an unending covenant between God and man, God’s commitment never to leave humankind alone. That original covenant is symbolized by the rainbow: “I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” The succession of God’s prophets over millennia fulfills that promise. God’s message is “updated” periodically through “Manifestations of God.” Abraham and Moses appear in the Old Testament, Christ in the New Testament and all within Muhammad’s Quran. Baha’is believe other manifestations include Krishna, Zoroaster and Buddha.

The Whitworth University Music Department will present the 2022 Christmas Festival Concert “Nowell Sing We,” this weekend. The concert features Christmas music from the Whitworth Choir and the Forest Treble Choir under the direction of Xiaosha Lin, DMA, director of choral activities.

During one of these Bible studies, someone suggested Damascus should attend one of the Coffee Talks hosted by SpokaneFāVS. He was moved by the diverse and interesting panelists, motivating him to get involved.

Reporters are supposed to find the news, tease out rumor and innuendo to report facts; but too many reporters covering the story are using rumor as the basics of their stories. Too many are using words like “terrible” and “horrifying” in their work. I’m sorry, but: Duh. Of course the story is, they do not need to state the obvious. Following the memorial service at UI, too many reporters leaped onto the innuendo for their stories. One Spokane TV reporter speculating the crowd was uneasy because, “They did not know if the murderer was right next to them.” Talk about irresponsible reporting, that is a prime example. OK, I get it – the information is slow to come out. The police are protecting what information and leads they have. They absolutely do not want to jeopardize this case when it goes to court.