The Sky Before Electricity In our light-filled world, with electric lamps illuminating our streets, backyards, and skies, few of us ever see the magnificence of a star-filled heaven. Indeed, as Paul Bogard explains in his book, The End of Night, only a few, very isolated places on Earth allow a vision of the night sky like the one our ancestors would have enjoyed, and then only after many hours of waiting for our eyes to adjust. Now that it is fall, I’m out for my walk before the sun rises, yet everywhere I go my path is lit by artificial light. Even when I turn onto the wooded path behind…
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Esther, New Beginnings, and a Message for Our Times
A New Year and New Beginnings in Esther The book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible explains why Jews must celebrate Purim every year, a noisy, silly holiday that honors the deliverance of the Jewish people. With its story-telling, community, and drinking, it is not unlike how some people celebrate New Year’s Eve. That’s not why I chose to write about Esther, however. While looking for scripture verses about new beginnings, I discovered an article by Jack Wellman called “Five Stories about New Beginnings with Commentary.” One of the five he mentions is Esther. Really? Esther, about new beginnings? The General Story An orphan adopted by her cousin Mordecai, Esther…