Lust vs. Love: Desire, Control, and the Longing to Be Seen

Pride vs. Humility: The Spiritual Trap of Being Certain

Pride is usually imagined as swagger, ego, and self-importance. But in this episode, the conversation goes deeper: pride may be the invisible cage of certainty — the belief that we already know, already see, already understand. In this season finale of Converging Paths, Eric, Brian, and Esther explore the subtle difference between healthy selfhood and spiritual inflation, the danger of humility language for those who have been taught to disappear, and the challenge of becoming “bustable” — able to admit when we are wrong. A rich and surprising final conversation on pride, humility, curiosity, apology, and wonder.

Lust vs. Love: Desire, Control, and the Longing to Be Seen

What is the difference between lust and love? In this episode of Converging Paths, Rev. Eric Elnes, Rabbi Brian Mayer, and Esther Freinkel-Tishman explore lust not simply as sexual desire, but as grasping, control, and objectification — and love as mutuality, spaciousness, and the freedom to let another person be fully real. Drawing on Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist wisdom, the conversation moves from Bathsheba and the Song of Songs to crushes, covenant, perfectionism, leadership, and the deep human longing to be seen. Thoughtful, funny, and surprisingly practical, this episode uncovers why lust may be far more than temptation — and why love asks something radically different of us.

Gluttony vs. Temperance: Why “More” Is Making Us Miserable — and What Actually Satisfies

Why does “more” so often leave us miserable? In this episode of Converging Paths, Rev. Eric Elnes joins Rabbi Brian Mayer and Zen teacher Esther Tishman to explore gluttony not as simple overeating, but as the deeper spiritual burden of “too muchness” in a culture that never stops asking for more. More consumption. More achievement. More information. More certainty. Drawing from the biblical story of manna in the wilderness, Buddhist teachings about self-forgetting, Jewish traditions of gratitude, and Christian spiritual practice, this conversation reframes gluttony as a loss of trust — and temperance as the rediscovery of sufficiency. Along the way, a surprising nod to Gilligan’s Island helps illuminate how even paradise can feel like scarcity when we forget what is enough. You’ll discover: * Why overconsumption often masks anxiety and distrust * How “enoughness” opens the door to generosity and ease * What mindfulness teaches about the “correct portion” * Why temperance is not deprivation — but freedom What if satisfaction isn’t found in more… but in enough?

Sloth vs. Hope: Why You’re Always Busy — and Still Feel Stuck

Sloth isn’t laziness. It’s avoidance. In this episode of Converging Paths, Rev. Eric Elnes, Rabbi Brian, and Zen teacher Esther explore how sloth shows up in modern life — not as inactivity, but as distraction, busyness, and spiritual disengagement. We ask: * What are we busy about? * Why does slowing down feel threatening? * What does Sabbath actually interrupt? * And how is hope practiced — not earned? Hope, we discover, isn’t wishful thinking about the future. It’s the courage to stop long enough to remember that we are already held. Part of our ongoing interfaith series on the Seven Deadly Sins and the Lively Virtues.

Wrath vs. Faith: When Anger Hardens — and How to Transform the Fire

We live in a time when anger feels justified — even necessary. But when does anger become wrath? In this episode, Rev. Eric Elnes, Rabbi Brian Mayer, and Zen teacher Esther Freinkel-Tishman explore the difference between anger that awakens conscience and anger that hardens into self-righteousness. Drawing from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Islamic wisdom, they discuss: – Why wrath narrows our vision – The spiritual danger of righteous indignation – The practice of staying with the “hot potato” of anger – How small frustrations train us for larger conflicts – And why faith means trusting that transformation is possible “Anger can only be measured by love.” This is not a call to suppress anger — but to transform it.