I heard the news while driving: Robin Williams was dead. The apparent cause of death was suicide. The next day it was confirmed that Mr. Williams had killed himself. Since the first announcement on August 11, we were reminded that Mr. Williams struggled with depression and had recently been hospitalized… Read More »Robin Williams: The Sad Clown?
I am in awe that all four of my grandparents were part of a great exodus to the United States. From 1890 to 1914, 70% of the immigrants to the United States were from Eastern and Southern Europe. It was an immigration phenomenon that brought 1.2 million people to the… Read More »Lessons from My Family about Immigration
I sat on the bench of a picnic table. A short distance in front of me, a steep hillside dropped down to a stream of blue water fed by glaciers. Further on the horizon were majestic mountains. For about two hours, I enjoyed this view while watching the skies change.… Read More »Expanding Awareness
My understanding of life has changed a great deal since I was a child. I remember learning about evolution in grade school. The evolution of life on Earth was depicted as a seamless process with one form of life evolving to the next until human beings emerged. I also learned… Read More »Cosmology: The Spiritual Implications
I was lucky enough to receive an amazing inheritance from my parents and grandparents. I suspect that they didn’t realize what they gave me. I know they received it from the older generations of my family. I prize it as one of those riches that’s been part of the family… Read More »My Inheritance
The conversation was very thoughtful. She chose her words with great care. As I listened to her responses to my questions, I found myself going deeper into her life experience. Rebecca (not her real name) is a participant in a research study I’m conducting on spirituality and its relationship to… Read More »Spiritual Practice and the Fear of Death
Meditation is a spiritual practice that I was informally introduced to in my youth. A few of my teachers in Catholic school encouraged me to practice “quiet prayer” as they called it. Later, in college, I read some books about meditation and tried to figure it out on my own.… Read More »Things That Would Have Been Helpful To Know When I Began a Meditation Practice
I have the impression that many people assume I only read books on spiritual themes. It’s true that in recent months my reading has included works by Christian mystics, including Francisco de Osuna’s Third Spiritual Alphabet (the book that most inspired Teresa of Avila to pursue contemplative prayer) and Teresa… Read More »What I’ve Been Reading This Year
