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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Thursday, April 16 Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Jackson County led way in building historic Highway 99 in Oregon Police Reports Ashland New Plays Festival chooses new artistic director Education Bracing for Common Core Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Ashland Runs on Volunteers: OLLI classes pay dividends in joy of teaching, learning New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Environment Ashland Fire & Rescue Alarm Box: There are good fires and there are bad fires Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. 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Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Memories of Oklahoma City bombing still fresh 20 years later Our View: Jackson County should say yes to Circle of Teran rehab request Film fest is the best Our View: New cat on the block in Ashland Editorial Our View: Jackson County should say yes to Circle of Teran rehab request Our View: New cat on the block in Ashland Our View: Ashland High benefits as cycle racing club gets rolling Our View: Ashland is prepared, Firewise Our View: Council should stop stalling on welcome center Letters Letters to the Editor, April 14 Letters to the Editor, April 13 Letters to the Editor, April 11 Letters to the Editor, April 8 Letters to the Editor, April 7 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Columns Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Memories of Oklahoma City bombing still fresh 20 years later Film fest is the best Mochas, midrash and mysteries: Meeting G-d in the middle Council Corner: Ashland deserves respect, not a just a rest stop Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Poems for parenting A tale of two plays at OSF Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship Five picks for entertainment this week Community blog: Rabbi David Zaslow teaches poetry Theater A tale of two plays at OSF Ashland New Plays Festival chooses new artistic director Backstage: 'Poof: Something that wasn’t there is there' Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Music On TV: Your guide to the Academy of Country Music Awards The Farr Side: Intriguing time on the Hot 100 Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Is Kelly Clarkson’s weight truly news?  Rhythm is on tap at the Northwest Percussion Festival Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies 'Cinderella' revisited is stunning, magical Ben Steelman: Big-screen showings to mark anniversary of ‘Sound of Music’ 'Western,' 'Imperial Dreams' win top film jury awards A scoop from the ocean: Reviews of four festival films What was your favorite film? 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MOCHAS, MIDRASH AND MYSTERIES Mochas, midrash and mysteries: Meeting G-d in the middle By Joshua Boettiger DailyTidings.com By Joshua Boettiger Posted Apr. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Joshua Boettiger Posted Apr. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> There’s a teaching in the Jewish tradition that when two people sit down to study sacred text together, G-d is also present. The trick, though, is to not lose track of the primary text — which is the person sitting in front of you. If one studies with another person and gets swept away in ideas and captivated by the discussion, it’s obviously not a bad thing. But if that causes one to lose track of one’s study partner, to not ask them about who and how they are — it is a missed opportunity. When Daniel Murphy and I began our learning together, I was struck by his capacity to intuitively get this, and to approach our interfaith dialogue with great presence, compassion, and awareness. In short, he knows that the medium is the message! As Daniel wrote last month, he and I have been meeting regularly to study a book called On Heaven and Earth, which itself is a record of a great interfaith encounter between Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), and Rabbi Abraham Skorka. The “mochas” part of the working title of our meetings refers to our joint commitment to sample the best mochas in the area, and have them inspire our learning. Daniel has a custom of making a l’chayim at the beginning of our study and saying, “May we be more awake to the needs of others.” The chapter we just explored in the dialogue between Cardinal Bergoglio and Rabbi Skorka is the one on G-d. Rabbi Skorka begins the chapter by noting a paradox: He believes that the thing that brought him and Pope Francis together was, and still is, G-d — yet the two of them never explicitly speak about G-d. “Of course,” Rabbi Skorka writes, “It was always understood that He was present.” In this vein, it’s worth explaining the Jewish custom of writing “G-d” the way we do. It is traditional to not write out the name of the Divine in Hebrew or English — as a reminder, among other things, that G-d is always somewhat beyond the pale of what we can grasp or understand; and that none of us or no one tradition has a monopoly on who or what G-d might be. How does one speak, then, about something that is often absent, yet ever-present; about something that is ultimately mysterious and beyond description? How do we, in the words of another rabbi, Benjamin Barnett, “eff about the ineffable”? Cardinal Bergoglio writes beautifully about the idea of two paths converging: “I would say that one encounters G-d walking, moving, seeking Him and allowing oneself to be sought by Him. They are two paths that meet.” It seems to me that this is also a way of navigating the paradox: If G-d is about a path and not a definition or a thing — G-d can stay more a verb than a noun. Often people will say that religion is the most divisive thing in our world. I’ve never agreed with this. Without question, religion can be hijacked for destructive means and ends, but often the conflict itself is around the ethnic, the political, or the geographic — religion is just an easy stone to pick up to throw at one another. But if we remember that none of us — no matter how deep and committed our faith — have a sure-fire knowledge of the truth; if we remember, in Cardinal Bergoglio’s gorgeous image, that G-d is a way of moving and being moved towards rather than a destination — perhaps religion can be more part of the solution than part of the problem. Together through respectful dialogue, we can move toward G-d, knowing that G-d is always moving toward us — a dynamic, not a static, truth. L’chayim! Rabbi Joshua Boettiger serves Temple Emek Shalom in Ashland.   By Joshua Boettiger DailyTidings.com By Joshua Boettiger Posted Apr. 15, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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