Mark's Blog
More Guns: A Manifestation of the ‘I’ Culture
In half the states in America, it is now legal to openly carry a handgun, without getting a permit or receiving any training. The New York Times reported on October 26 that the law in Texas, which went into effect in September, 2021, is making law enforcement...
Surrendering Into a Portal
Last week, while driving on a highway in the pouring rain, my car spun out of control as I took a turn. I went around a couple of times and hit the left side retaining wall with my front end. The collision knocked the car back onto the highway and pointed me...
Invitation to Humility
As our airwaves and platforms are saturated with requests, threats and predictions over the upcoming midterm elections, the unrelenting messaging machines generate visceral reactions, to be sure, but also – maybe, some personal reflection, if not introspection. What...
Scapegoats, Ego, Soul and Mandorla
In the early rituals of Yom Kippur, (which the Jewish family observed last week on October 5) a goat was presented to the high priest in the holy of holies. On the goat’s flanks were written the sins of the community – all sorts of scurrilous and cruel thoughts and...
The Importance of Honest and Vulnerable Stories
Our lives are framed by stories. Stories that we read, hear and see; and stories that we tell – about what we know, what we see, and what we feel. Yet increasingly over the last several years stories have come under intense scrutiny. In more and more cases, stories...
Religion in the World: A Challenge and an Opportunity
When religion ventures out of its traditional worship space, controversy inevitably ensues. We have seen that recently in Iran where the morality (read religious) police arrested 22 year old Mahsa Amini because her hair was not properly hidden under her hijab. She...
Immigration: A Continuing Cascade of Failure
Immigration in America is a continuing cascade of failure. It could be said that the failure begins in the growing number of countries that are failed states — due to economic collapse, corruption, violence, or financial and physical disinvestment, or a combination of...
Queen Elizabeth: An Icon into Deeper Life
I teared up several times as I watched the parade of mourners lay flowers at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace in honor and memory of Queen Elizabeth. Pundits and British citizens reflected on her devotion, duty and duration as monarch. She was the model of...
The Problem with “Hate Has No Home Here”
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of Hate Has No Home Here lawn signs across the American landscape. Similar to blatantly political lawn signs (many make the case that Hate Has No Home Here is indeed a subliminal political message), they reflect the...