In the Torah, the name of God represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature. The various Jewish names of God represent God, and His divine attributes.* Focusing on seventy two visual representations of aspects of God, as a tool to meditate on and visualize is an interesting idea, and one with very old origins.
Life can leave us fragmented and without cohesion. Society often has communicated a not-so-subtle message that we have multiple selves; there’s the self we are at home, the self we are at work, the self we are with friends, the self we are at the gym, and even the self we are at church, the temple, the mosque, and so forth.Joyful living is more likely found when we embrace a holistic, multi-dimensional approach to each of our endeavors and responsibilities. Much of what wears us down across a busy week relates to the effort we put toward not just wearing various hats but various identities—attempting to be one person in a certain set of circumstances, and someone else in another context. It gets exhausting.
Recently, a few weeks after my father Frank’s passing, I spent time with my mother Flora going through some of his things. He didn’t leave much behind, being a simple man with simple tastes. There were a few clothes; some medals from World War II; a few service pins; several books; a 1980 appointment calendar in which he had scribbled dozens of motivational sayings; and a strange piece of metal we found lying in a drawer.
Good Christian men are supposed to be meek, timid creatures that come to church every Sunday and lead lives of quiet contemplation, right? John Eldredge doesn’t think so–and I agree. His book, Wild at Heart, is a powerful personal account that shows that the Creator made us with a completely different image in mind.
John Eldredge is one of my favorite contemporary authors. His books take me deeper into my faith. Like hiking up an arduous mountain path, I discover the reward at the end, a scenic view giving perspective to my life. Reading Waking the Dead
John Eldridge is one of my favorite contemporary authors. His books take me deeper into my faith. Like hiking up an arduous mountain path, I discover the reward at the end, a scenic view giving perspective to my life. Reading Waking the Dead
This poem invokes God’s protection on a journey (either literal or the metaphorical “journey of life”) against all manner of evils, including “the spells of women and smiths and druids”. It dates from the 8th century and is traditionally attributed to St. Patrick. It is composed in the same style as pagan protection charms from Ireland, but with clearly Christian content. It was translated into English by Cecil Frances Alexander as the popular Victorian hymn “I bind unto myself to-day”.
Hear Oh Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
The Sh’ma (”Hear!”) is called the cornerstone of the Jewish faith and is relevant to Christians as well. It comes from three sections from the Torah (Old Testament). The Sh’ma has been described as the “first and greatest commandment.” Mark 12:28-30
The Zohar is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. It is a mystical commentary on the Torah (the five books of Moses), written in medieval Aramaic and medieval Hebrew. It contains a mystical discussion of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, sin, redemption, good and evil, and related topics.*