14 lagunabeachindy . com SEPTEMBER 23 , 2022
GUEST OPINION : FINDING MEANING
Shared Beliefs
BY SKIP HELLEWELL
Last Sunday night , checking the TV , I chanced upon the Dodgers beating the Giants in extra innings for win 101 of the season . Not the best sports fan ; I was unaware the Dodgers were doing so well . The program was followed by highlights of the day ’ s NFL football games with game-changing plays and screaming fans ( yes , the Rams beat the Falcons ). It was a quick tour of football stadia across the country , each with tens of thousands of fans , interspersed with long commercial breaks that are themselves a spectacle .
Sunday morning , by contrast , I was at two Laguna churches . At the first , the Beautiful Wife learned a friend ’ s mother had passed away that week . Typically , the BW wanted to know how she might help her friend ; I was curious to know more about the mother and her husband who predeceased her . Research revealed fascinating life stories for both .
The second meeting was at Laguna ’ s United Methodist Church for the kick-off ( to borrow a sports term ) of their nine-week World Religion Study organized by Dan Gara . The point of the series is to better understand the shared beliefs of Christianity , Islam , and Judaism . This seemed a good thing — to build on what we have in common rather than dwell on our differences — and I thought it the most interesting happening in Laguna that Sunday morning .
Last Sunday ’ s program offered a review of Christianity up to the Reformation . This Sunday , Rev . Lynn Francis , pastor , will discuss the theology of faith . Future programs will feature noted scholar Dr . William Yarchin of Azusa Pacific University , whose interests include ancient Bible manuscripts and the intersection of science and religion . Dr . Muzammil Siddiqi , Harvard-trained Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County , will lead the discussion on Islam . Then , Rabbi Peter Levi , regional director for the Anti-Defamation League , will teach about Judaism .
Awake in the night , I pondered the contrasts between our love of sports and the observance of faith . Baseball and ( American ) football are relatively new . Religion , by contrast , is as old as humankind — men and women have always looked to the heavens , seeking answers . The scale and sound of the two are also extreme : stadia hold up to 100,000 screaming fans ( the record for loudness is 142 decibels , akin to standing by a jet engine ), with millions joining on TV . Church congregations are intimate , formed by a few dozen or a few hundred ; when not singing , congregations are still enough to hear the whisper of that still , small voice .
Our embrace of both sports and religion is a testament to our versatility . The challenge is to make space in our lives to be well informed about the quieter one . Thus , please consider taking advantage of the World Religions Study at United Methodist Church for the next eight Sundays at 11:15 a . m . There ’ s meaning in that .
Hellewell fell in love with Laguna on a ‘ 50s surfing trip . He ’ s a student of Laguna history and the author of “ Loving Laguna : A Local ’ s Guide to Laguna Beach .” Email : skip @ lovinglaguna . com
GUEST OPINION : FINDING MEANING
Laguna ’ s Future and Measure Q
BY DAVID RABER
Would you trust a developer to give you information to help you stop overdevelopment ? Consider that Measure Q ’ s opponents , “ Citizen ’ s for Laguna ’ s Future ” is funded almost exclusively by developer and business interests whose priorities are likely very different from yours . The opposition against Measure Q is very well funded because they can easily afford it , and it threatens their unfettered
RABER , page 16
WHAT KIND OF LAGUNA WILL WE LEAVE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION ?
Stewardship of the environment must be of paramount importance . I don ’ t have all the answers but we need to step up our game , that much I know . We need to :
Accelerate plans to fix our infrastructure Adopt a far-reaching Climate Action Plan Be at the forefront for green building rules
Maximize the smart use of water and energy Keep protecting our Greenbelt and Bluebelt Implement new technology for water recycling
The more I talk to people , and dig into these issues , the more I learn of novel and seemingly practical solutions I want our City to carefully examine .
With your support , I will make this a priority . It has to be . And we all have a role to play . We owe nothing less to the ones who come after us .
To learn more or get involved , visit :
MARKORGILL . COM
Paid For By Mark Orgill for Laguna Council 2022 ID # 1449548