Jesus, the rabbi of Nazareth, was always on the move. Therefore, shadowing him, following in his footsteps, amounts to being engaged in a continual process of becoming, of reinventing oneself, of being born anew every day. This nomadic lifestyle, which fosters simplification and improvisation, is paradoxically also very enriching–to the point of transforming us into pilgrims on the way to the messianic age.
The land of Israel is intimately linked to the adventures of the prophets, men like Elijah, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the list goes on and on. How about prophets who were women? Does anyone remember that two gates of the Jerusalem Temple bore the name of Huldah, one of these women? Probably not, which is not all that astonishing given that history was written by men . . . Some women have, however, found places in history: Sarah and Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, to name a few. Other...
The biblical book of Esther is the dark, yet marvelous, story of a Jewish girl deported with her uncle to the Persian Empire. They are in exile from Israel and from humanity, condemned to wander as nomads and strangers in a foreign land. Yet, almost in spite of herself, Esther becomes a queen, succeeding in saving her people from extermination. How hard it is when everything seems to be falling apart to stay true to one's identity! It might be even more difficult for these exiles to keep...
