Episode 174: Between These Eyes of Ink I

“The longer we live, the more we find we are like other persons.”
— Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

This week, the beginning of a new series entitled "Between These Eyes of Ink," which dissects and considers quotations and the insights they contain. For our inaugural episode, we're looking at the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., who said "The longer we live, the more we find we are like other persons". Is Holmes referring to all people? Does the word "persons" have particular significance? What does this perspective say about human empathy over time?

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Episode 173: Christ on the Cross

Imagery plays a powerful role across all cultures. Whether sculpted, painted, drawn or woven, human creations are often detailed in ways that capture the imagination and the spirit. This week, we look at the visual qualities of Christianity's central image, Christ on the cross. Widely-spread and recognized by billions of people around the world, it is powerful and meaningful in a myriad of ways. How might it strike discomfort in some where many find inspiration and hope? How does it serve as an example of symbol interpretation and meaning reversal?

Episode 172: "Honesty is the Best Policy"

The phrase "honesty is the best policy" has been a common utterance of parents, teachers and other moral guides in society. It points to a tendency and belief system many hope we might adopt and employ in our daily lives. But what is the philosophy behind the saying and what does it actually request of the individual? This week, we welcome Gabe Brison-Trezise to explore some of the morality and practicality behind the saying. Why does the word policy appear here? What values or behaviors might be more fitting than honesty? How do truth and falsehood permeate our lives in more subtle ways?

Episode 171: Nice vs. Kind

We all face choices in how we deal with those around us. Your options can include apathy, hostility, curiosity and countless other variations. When it comes to showing differing levels of courtesy or respect, how might they differ? This week, we welcome Kathleen Duffy to examine the distinctions between being nice and being kind. What can we glean about interpersonal priorities through either expression? Does our society encourage one approach over the other? How do they require different energy, thought and sincerity from each of us?

Episode 170: "God on Trial"

In a post-Holocaust world, the narrative of humanity is forever changed by the tragedy and atrocity of the period. For the religious among us, particularly the Jewish people, how can these events be understood in relation to an almighty being? This week, we're joined by Adam Bulmash to explore this questions through the lens of the 2008 BBC film, God on Trial, written by Frank Cottrell Boyce. The film takes place in Auschwitz, during World War II, and illustrates the real events of prisoners who put God on trial for the circumstances of the Holocaust. What commentaries does the film make about free will and faith? How has human relationship to a higher power shifted before, during and after the events of the Holocaust?

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