Converging Paths

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 l...

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 move...

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 stor...

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?...

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 v...

Envy may be the only deadly sin that isn’t any fun at all — but is it always destructive? In this episode of Converging Paths , Rev. Eric Elnes, Rabbi Brian Mayer, and Zen teacher Myobun Esther explore the subtle ways comparison shapes our lives. From Cain and Abel to contemporary social tensions, they examine how envy can corrode connection — and how generosity, gratitude, and empathetic joy can...

Greed is rarely about money alone. It’s about fear, scarcity, and the quiet conviction that what we have—or who we are—is not enough. In this opening episode of The Inner Work, we explore Greed vs. Gratitude through a thoughtful interfaith conversation that reframes one of humanity’s oldest struggles. A Christian minister, a Jewish rabbi, and a Zen Buddhist teacher come together to examine how gre...