Happy New Year! Believe it or not, Jan. 5th is a busy day on the interfaith calendar. We have Twelfth Night — the eve of Epiphany and its tale of Jesus’ visit from the wise men. Our Sikh friends are celebrating the birth of Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the 10 Sikh gurus, with devotional hymns, mock battles, lectures, poetry readings, and sweet pudding. And, it’s the Mahayana Buddhist New Year. There are three major traditions in Buddhism — Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana. A little over half of the world’s Buddhists come from the Mahayana tradition.
Last week, Pope Francis also named 15 new cardinals. They hailed from 14 different countries, but none was from the U.S.
My top 5 faith-related picks this week focus on Muslim extremism and holiday travel, so here goes.
The UK Struggles in Dealing with Young Children and Islamic Extremism
Cathedral in Cologne Goes Dark to Protest an Anti-Muslim March
Swedes “Love Bomb” Mosques to Show Solidarity in the Face of Anti-Muslim Attacks
Another Flight Delayed as Ultra Orthodox Jewish Men Refuse to Sit Next to Women
Saudi Arabia Introduces Gender Segregation on National Flights