Stories have a certain kind of potency to them. Stories convey life lessons that often make rote learning seem shallow. Long after they are told, stories can continue to inspire the hearer who in turn can draw multiple layers of meaning while ruminating on the parable. This is the case… Read More »The Gift that is Present
Finding information on meditation and techniques is quite easy today. Classes are taught at Buddist sanghas, Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, yoga studios, health clubs, gyms…just about any place where people can gather. In metropolitan areas, there are often large outdoor meditation sittings where people of various traditions gather. From the… Read More »The Uniqueness of Christian Contemplative Prayer
It’s a classic song from my high school days. I’m surprised how often I find the song playing as background music in my mind. It was in 1972 that singer-song writer Bill Withers released this soulful tune: “Sometimes in our lives we all have pain We all have sorrow …”… Read More »Sometimes We All Have Pain
Faith. It’s trust and confidence in someone or something. It’s a conviction about something that’s not based on objective evidence. While we usually think about faith in terms of religious beliefs or the existence of a deity, we actually have faith about a great number of things in life. For… Read More »Faith: Moving Beyond Dogma
Over the weeks following Easter, Gospel stories recounting the appearances of the risen Christ to the disciples are read in Christian churches. Of these stories, perhaps the most striking to me recounts two people and their encounter with Christ on Easter evening. This story is commonly called, “The Road to… Read More »A Warm Spring of Refreshment after Tragedy
Sometimes, I ‘m trolled on the Internet. In case you’re not familiar with the term, “Internet troll,” it’s slang for someone who attempts to create discord online with arguments or inflammatory posts for no other purpose than to be disagreeable. While I occasionally am trolled, I have one gentleman who’s… Read More »My Internet Troll
Who am I? What makes me the person that I am? I have to be honest: I’m not really sure. I have lots of roles. I’m a professor, a mentor, a friend, a lover, a cook, a laundress, a lawn boy, a spiritual director, , an agitator, a letter writer…..and… Read More »On Being Human
Growing up during the Cold War Era in a family proud of its Eastern European heritage and belonging to an ethnic Eastern European church, there was a story I heard periodically around Easter time. The story made its way into sermons and was sometimes repeated in family gatherings. As there… Read More »Making Sense of the Resurrection of Jesus Today
