Tonight at dusk, millions of Jewish people from all over the world will converge at their local synagogue to begin the most solemn religious day of the year: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Most will have eaten a large meal in preparation for the…
Embracing Others in the Image of G-d
You may recognize this line, “To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God.” as the dying words of Jean Valijean, the hero in the play Le Miserables; Velijean was on his deathbed saying farewell to his daughter, sharing hidden truths and asking for forgiveness….
On Forgiveness
Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins this evening. For those who observe the holiday, it culminates ten days of soul searching during which time we’re instructed to ask forgiveness from those we may have harmed. In the course of my own reflection, one…
Forgiveness: When is the Right Time?
The act of forgiveness is tricky, regardless of whether you’re asking to be forgiven or forgiving another. Typically, just the thought of it brings up a myriad of conflicting emotions around the person who has harmed us: anger, hurt, sadness, remorse, resentment, hopefulness, and even…