Tag Archives: Doctrine & Practice

I reached into my pocket and my fingers wrapped themselves around a fistful of change. How appropriate, lately the world seems to be overflowing with change. It is the one thing that we can rely on. One of the most basic beliefs of Buddhism is the concept of impermanence; that we should not cling to any object, person, or belief because our reality is constantly changing.

Todd Brazington is a quietly confident 22-year-old. He served a mission in Costa Rica from 2009 to 2011 and looks back on those years often.

“Its hard not to look back on it. Almost every day I think about it. It makes me miss my mission a lot,” he said.

Several days ago, I read an article in which Pope Francis “declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.” I clearly expected much backlash as his statements are bold (to say the least) and have the power to rock the foundations of both Roman Catholicism and enrage those who believe Jesus to be the sole way to God.

The book of Exodus is the memory of how Israel came into being as the chosen people of God. Because as church we often refer to ourselves as Israel or the new Israel, we need to see ourselves in the story.

Although I study and write books on many world wisdom traditions, at heart, I am a committed Buddhist practitioner. This turn away from my childhood faith of Presbyterianism occurred on a narrow trail 500 feet above a terrifying and roaring river in the Himalayas.

Bart Ehrman’s lecture last Thursday, “Misquoting Jesus: Scribes Who Changed the Scriptures and Readers Who May Never Know,” provided fascinating details on exactly how and why there are mistakes in the Bible (as does his book “Misquoting Jesus” which I recently reviewed on my blog).