Category Archives: Commentary

On the shore for several days. Ruins, boats and a kibbutz. Largest body of fresh water below sea level. It’s the truth, but I’m not certain of the meaning. Clearly in scripture this was an important area. Even in a … Continue reading →

Many people believe that something unique happened here. They believe that Joseph, the carpenter had his shop here, and raised his family. They believe that his wife Mary was visited by an angel and something wonderful was told to her. … Continue reading →

My readings of crusader history always mentioned Acre. I did not know that it was known before, and later, as Acco. We are in Acco, on the shore of northern Israel. The area is beautiful, the sea is warm, enticing, … Continue reading →

We are on the famous Via Maris, the Way of the Sea. For thousands of years, people, traders, and armies, moved from Egypt to Lebanon, and Phoenicia to Damascus, keeping the Mediterranean on the left, or the right, depending on … Continue reading →

Landed in Tel Aviv on Saturday early evening, I bet it took two hours to get off the plane, through passport, and through baggage. And then it was another hour to get to the hotel up north. We are on … Continue reading →

In less than a week— actually, in four days— we will climb into a tube, breathe recycled air, and rise into the atmosphere as the Earth spins beneath us. It will spin the Sierras under us. It will darken over … Continue reading →

Something has gone wrong. That’s okay. Nothing works forever. This isn’t a perfect world. But we have gifts—skills, tools, experience. We can fix things. All it takes is the right perspective. Approach the problem with an open mind. Analyze the … Continue reading →

It was a good day. All my children remembered and wished me well. Mostly they remembered good things. Some, even great things. Some… suspicious. For a lot of years, I had a late start to my day. That meant I … Continue reading →

On the Departure of the Body At the moment of death—physical, visible, undeniable—the ancient Greeks believed that something separated from the body. They called it the eidolon. The image. The echo. The essence. But death, we know now, is complicated. … Continue reading →

Telegraph Avenue and the Air-Conditioned Nightmare (A Memory from the Edge of the Crowd) I dunno. I think I was a sophomore in high school—so that would be 1964, or thereabouts. I’d spent the summer skipping my monthly haircut. It … Continue reading →