Tag Archives: Doctrine & Practice

The soundtrack for a lot of Orthodox Jews this Fourth of July will be the mute button.

As music gallantly streams at barbecues and fireworks displays across the nation, many Orthodox Jews will silence their TVs and avoid live music performances, such as the annual Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade Hatch Shell.

The biggest influences on my spirituality have been the process of healing from my eating disorder and the people who have been my support during this experience.

I had to admit I couldn't deal with the eating disorder on my own, and ended up spending six months in a treatment center 300 miles from home.

Last October, President Thomas S. Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that instead of waiting until they were 19, young men could serve missions at 18, so long as they had finished high school. For young women, the change was even more significant: 19 instead of 21. This opened the floodgates as the number of missionaries currently serving has surged from 52,000 to 70,000 over the past eight months, and is anticipated to reach almost 100,000 by the end of this year.

When I lie in bed at night unable to sleep because of the intrusive thoughts that tool around in my head, I want to know that someone, something, hears me, but I’m always met with silence.

I’m not looking to be Julian of Norwich or Joan of Arc.

Q. Can you help me understand all the different kinds of Buddhism? Like Christianity, it seems there are many branches, i.e., Zen, Tibetan, etc. How many are there and how are they different?

Well, now that we have gotten all of the "perfect" folks out of the room, we can have a heart to heart chat.  You and I can be honest about the fact that there really aren't any perfect people, right? Just look around.  I have never met one, have you?  All I see are ordinary folks like you and me; ordinary folks, who are a mixture of strengths and weaknesses, virtues and vices; ordinary folks who try to live out of their "better angels," and who feel embarrassed when they fall short.