spiritual insights on religion, social justice and comparative theology
The first time I ever meditated was at a Buddhist temple in Cleveland. I was fulfilling an assignment for my “World Religions” class and attended a service there. I remember the Buddhist priest carrying a stick to keep practicioners honest. He was wielding it to ensure they stayed awake during the meditation and would gently … Continue reading Meditation and The Art of Dying by William Klein
Love is as allusive as a breeze through a tree. It can’t be caught, but it can be experienced and understood by an individual for the time he needs it to comprehend something deeper, more meaningful. If you’ve marked any time on this beautiful globe, you’ve experienced love’s wonder in some capacity. The Greeks allude … Continue reading Love Multiplies by William Klein
As a writer we are taught to use the exclamation point sparingly. There are limitations to writing that cannot truly express your joy with words, hence the overuse of exclamation points. I use them as gradual builds in paragraphs when writing informal notes to friends. It’s as if to say, “I am so excited about … Continue reading The Exclamation Point by William Klein
Fantasy Sports Characters The following is a list of characters you may encounter in Fantasy Sports Leagues. Use the characters to consider where you might fall on the list and answer the questions below. I’ve written this with masculine pronouns, but feel free to use whatever floats your boat. 1. The Commish: The guy who has created the … Continue reading Fantasy Sports Enneagram by William Klein
Author Andrew Klaven tells a story about Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter “playing through pain.” I’ll get to this in a minute, but first a little background on Klaven’s story. Klaven was raised a Jew and started studying the Gospels because he was interested in the literary quality of the stories. His father caught … Continue reading Playing Through Pain by William Klein
As I was working through my biblical studies, I came upon a curious statement that stayed with me. “I AM the immaculate conception.” Mary is quoted as saying this at Lourdes during one of her appearances. Maximillan Kolbe pointed to it as he said that “Mary recognized the Holy Spirit within her.” The Immaculate Conception is … Continue reading Marian Devotion and “The Great I Am” by William Klein
We recently lost the great Harry Belafonte who died in NYC at the age of 96. During the taping of the song “We Are the World,” an activist song recorded to help the famine ravaged people of Ethiopia, the star-studded celebrity cast pays tribute to the man by singing his famous song “Banana Boat Song.” … Continue reading Belafonte by William Klein
There is a price for everything in life. A friend of mine once shared with me, “You can have anything you want in the world. Just pay the price and take it.” In other words, we are beholden to the consequences of our decisions, and we are going to pay a price for the moral … Continue reading The Price We Pay by William Klein
Last weekend, I attended the Lucille Ball Museum and National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, with some friends and family. Jamestown is the hometown and final resting place of comedy legend Lucille Ball. Ball’s last wishes were for the city to honor the art of comedy itself, hence, the unique placement of one of … Continue reading The Social Beast of Comedy by William Klein
I was walking at the old school. One of the silver haired walkers said, “These kids today have no respect for their elders.” I said, “What have we done to earn our respect? Have we kept them safe from harm in schools? Have we kept them healthy? Do we listen to them and acknowledge their voices? Have … Continue reading Intergenerational Angst by William Klein
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