“When all ate of the meats of the Gentiles, he kept his soul and never was defiled with their meats.” (Tobit 1:12   Douay-Rheims Bible) 1. Background of the Book and the Man The Book of Tobit is one of the apocryphal books of the Bible. It dates to the 3rd or early 2nd century BC. It is a Jewish wisdom narrative set during the Assyrian exile, when Israelites were forcibly relocated to pagan cities after Assyria conquered northern Israel (8th c. BCE). Written for Jews living u

Intro.: Saint Seraphim of Sarov  (19 July 1754 – 14 Jan. 1833), born in Kursk, was a most revered Russian vegan monk. Between 1794 and 1819, he lived as a secluded hermit in the woods outside Sarov Monastery, during which he subsisted on vegetables he cultivated himself and formed gentle, trusting relationships with wild animals such as bears, rabbits, wolves, and foxes. A nun once saw the holy monk sitting beside a bear, stroking him and feeding him with bread. From 1825 onw

“Love your enemies,” says Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:44).“Forgive them; for they know not what they do,” Jesus prays from the cross (Luke 23:34). Now, no one whose heart is full of peace, love, light, and wisdom will conceive of dirty tricks to harm others. Only those whose hearts are filled with pain, fear, confusion, and ignorance are constantly contriving ways to hurt others. For within love there is no fear (1 John 4:18). We are called by Jesus to forgive those who try to hu

The story of Bathsheba’s first child (2 Samuel 12) will be examined from the perspective of Jesus, as reflected in his healing of the man born blind in John 9. It will be argued that Jesus explicitly rejects punitive theology and blood sacrifice. 1. The Shared Assumption (That Jesus Smashes) Both stories rest on the same ancient assumption that suffering exists because someone sinned, and God is exacting payment. Concerning 2 Samuel 12, it is assumed that David sins and the c