When you ask the wrong question, you can only get a wrong answer. That’s the case with the “Ground Zero mosque” controversy.

So my friend says: “How long have you been a Bahá’i?” Me: “Since 1974.”

One fine, clear night not too long ago, in a place relatively free of the distractions of city lights, I found myself gazing up into the starlit heavens and being absolutely awestruck by the beauty and the grandeur of the universe.

When I read our gospel text for today, I put it in the category of the “around the dinner table” sort of texts. We could get the idea that Kingdom of God consists of going to dinner with the proper attitude.

Ramadan began today, Wednesday, Aug. 11, with sighting of the new moon. For the thousands of Muslims in Western Washington, the Holy Month of Fasting (Ramadan) is an annual ritual they look forward to every year. “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may learn self –restraint… (2:183 Holy Qur’an) The verse in the Holy Quran enjoins fasting as it was prescribed to those who came before; Moses, peace be upon him, fasted, Jesus, peace be upon him, fasted, but as an institution, fasting has been overlooked and undermined over the years.

There is a simple act that each of us can do every day that will bring true happiness to our lives and to the lives of others; this act is being of service to another.

I recently heard a quote from Bono, the lead singer from the band U2 that caused me to stop and think. He was actually quoting what a pastor said to him one time. He said, “Stop asking God to bless what you’re doing. Get involved in what God is doing because it’s already blessed.”

I thought about quoting the Doors song, “The End” as my intro for this column, since I think many industry observers and participants may have concerns about what will happen to the real estate market now that the April 30 qualifying deadline for the Home Buyer Tax Credit has ended. But I think that is sort of a depressing song that sets the wrong tone for what I have to say ¬– because I am not necessarily sorry to see it go.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama describes this as his favorite prayer because in a non-secular and ethical way it embodies the compassionate attitude. Without this underlying intention none of us could ever attain enlightenment. In fact, we would not be here on this planet, in this universe if it had not been for the great hardships our mother endured to give us birth, who sacrificed herself and tenderly nurtured us so that we might live in this rare and precious human life, and hopefully not waste this precious opportunity to contribute to the welfare of all sentient beings, as well as to care for the boundless gifts given to us from our Mother Earth!

Chances are, not many of us would buy a book with the title, 'How I Achieved Mediocrity' or 'How I got to be less than the Best' or 'How to be Average.' We all like to think we are striving for excellence. The truth of the matter is that many of us are stuck in the land of mediocrity, living well below our potential. Surely we are not making the most of the gifts and talents God has given us.

As a priest and pastor, I have the awe-inspiring opportunity of being invited into people’s lives at their most vulnerable and tender moments. To those of us called as ministers for God’s people, it has been given us the responsibility to listen and stand in the gap with these precious lives, to help people connect to and see themselves as within and part of God’s love.

While Temple Beth Or members believe our synagogue is special and unique, admittedly there is one area where we are a lot like other Reform synagogues in the country. Many of our member families are interfaith. That is, only one of the parents is Jewish. In fact, more than half of our families include a non-Jewish spouse or partner. There are all kinds of interfaith couples and Temple Beth Or’s membership includes most types.

Things are turning green around here. In spite of the best efforts of wind and storm, trees are leafing out, shrubs are showing color, and the season is shifting. While I honestly prefer summer, it seems that spring is growing on me (pun very much intended).

A couple of summers ago I took my son Caleb backpacking in Colorado. At that time he was 16 and not altogether sure that he wanted to spend that much time alone with his dad. But I knew that in the culture of our family it was important that he and I have some alone time in the wild.

Western science and Buddhism offer meticulous understandings of the human mind. However, Western dimensions of this scientific body of work have principally investigated the mind mainly upon pathologies. According to Thupten Jinpa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s main interpreter says, “There has been little focus on the more constructive and positive qualities of the human mind, and very little research into how people can be trained to cultivate those.”

We have been fortunate to enjoy some beautiful early spring days this past month. The warm, sunny days have turned many of the trees into beautiful flowering bloom and everything is changing to a bright spring green. These days refresh us with feelings of hope and thoughts of a new start. We are reinvigorated to improve, to take action and prepare to make things better.

My sons love their experience in the Mukilteo schools. My wife and I value what they are getting; but there is one thing I wish our schools could teach. I wish they could teach my boys how to watch TV.

I was well into writing this column when the earthquake in Haiti struck. I originally thought to write about the season of Epiphany and the Wise Men who came to see the Christ Child.

One of the most difficult things for any human being to wrestle with is the reality of human suffering. Many have challenged Christianity with the argument that, if there is suffering and evil in the world, then God is either good but powerless or powerful and not good, but certainly not good and powerful.