Spirituality
The Defiant Ones
…a while ago a young man trying to stay sober called me from another city and told me he was calling to “tell on himself,” meaning he needed to tell someone he was thinking of doing something he knew wasn’t in his best interests.
Read MoreDon't worry about the other horses.
I recently had an email exchange with an artist whose work I admire greatly. She’s an accomplished photographer whose work, in recent times, she feels is getting lost in the swamp. It seems everybody with an eyeball is snapping away with their digital cameras and calling themselves professional photographers these days, just like everybody with…
Read MoreRiding the tree roots
I wonder if you, like me, have ever found yourself sitting in the dark, tear-stained and brittle with anguish, listening to Tom Waits, perhaps, emptying a bottle of scotch, or a pot of coffee, maybe smoking cigarette after cigarette, staring out a fractured glass into the night, your soul blank, your stomach churning, your thoughts…
Read MoreThe river of stories
The other day I visited the Rescue Mission of Trenton, with the group, People & Stories, to talk about literature and life. Diane, a volunteer organizer drove me there. When we arrived we entered an unmarked steel door in the side of a cement block building and when the woman behind the glass saw us,…
Read MoreREVIEW – The Hidden Gospels – four questions, one path
I believe Alexander Shaia may have written a book which will change the way people look at the gospels entirely, and I’m not just talking about Christians. The gospels, Shaia posits, are not to be taken literally but rather they create a “Great Map of Transformation” universally relevant, regardless of background or viewpoint, even to…
Read MoreChief Arvol Looking Horse asks we pray to stop the bleeding
I was in New Orleans recently, arriving shortly after the oil catastrophe (‘spill’ is hardly an adequate word). Even though officials said they didn’t know how bad the damage would be, every Louisianian I spoke to had little doubt, and the horror showed in their faces. My heart breaks, as I’m sure yours does. I…
Read MoreIs that a bull you're burning on your altar, or are you just trying to annoy your neighbors?
Madeleine L’Engle, author of, among other things, A Wrinkle in Time, called Biblical purists “Fundalits.” She was quite fond of the fundamentals of the Bible, but highly annoyed by people who took them literally. I agree. As someone who takes the Bible seriously, I simply can’t take it literally. Thankfully, I’m not alone. My mother-in-law,…
Read MoreWhy are you doing this?
It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by bad news these days. Financial problems, health care ‘debate’ incivility, bombings in subway stations, natural disasters…. it’s grim, and seemingly ubiquitous. Writers and booksellers are no stranger to dire predictions and this week two articles were brought to my attention. One was a blog post from New York…
Read MoreClearing out the mental/spiritual closet
Lent begins today, which is, in Christian tradition, the period leading up to Easter and is intended as a time of reflection, of going within to hear the small still voice, and to take stock of who we are, to face ourselves and not be afraid of our imperfections. On the Explore Faith website I…
Read MoreA humble life, dedicated to great purpose?
Last night I watched Stephen Colbert skewer fame, God bless him. Here’s the clip: The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The Word – Cognoscor Ergo Sum www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy Everyone loves me, says Colbert. I am known, therefore I am. My life has meaning because everything I…
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