In the Bible, the tense and dynamic narrative is sometimes interrupted by  interesting and also funny animal stories. In the Old Testament, we have Balaam’s talking donkey and ravens that befriended and fed prophet Elijah, Tobit’s dog, Noah’s dove, Aaron’s staff that could transform into a live serpent. In the New Testament, things appear to […]

The repertoires of classical concerts and performances sometimes include sacred music. They can be performed professionally and perfectly, but there is always something missing, and we never quite get to experience them the way they were intended to. The reason for this is that much of such works are liturgical. Liturgy is complex and requires […]

One of the main characters in John Milton’s Paradise Lost is Satan. And he has a problem that needs to be addressed. He needs a plan and strategy that would allow him to maintain control over Hell. Eventually, Satan comes up with the most brilliant plan. He manages to convince everyone in Hell that they […]

Today’s Gospel reading – The Parable of the Weeds depicts a grim picture. The farmer who worked tirelessly on his field and perhaps invested all his time and money in it, learns that the enemy sowed weeds in his field. For a modern mind it is hard to grasp the true scope of the danger. […]

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” – Hebrews 13:2 In today’s lectionary reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew chapter 12, we hear about some religious leaders who came to Jesus and requested to show a sign that would prove that He […]

In his 2012 highly acclaimed bestseller “Why Nations Fail” Turkish-born Armenian-American author, MIT professor and one of the most prominent economists in the world Daron Acemoğlu explores why some nations are rich and others poor, why nations are divided by food and famine, prosperity and poverty, health and sickness. He dives deep into these questions […]

Nobody likes spam. Thanks to the adoption of intelligent technologies, we don’t see much spam these days. But that was not the case in the not very distant past. Many of us will remember the good old days when every morning while checking our emails, we would be surprised to discover that we are related […]

There are striking similarities and differences among ancient Near Eastern stories and legends of creation. We find the spiritual elegance and grace in the Biblical narrative where God creates the universe out of his abundant love and with his mere word to be in sharp contrast with the Babylonian version dominated by violence and murder. […]

When Julius Caesar prevailed in the battle of Zela, he did not commission for his biography or the tale of great victory to be written, he did not order statues and monuments of marble and gold to be erected. Instead, he sent a letter to Rome comprised of mere three simple words, – “Veni, vidi, […]