It’s been about a dozen years since I officiated at a wedding. That’s quite a long time for a minister who has served as a local church pastor to go without performing a wedding ceremony. But that was my decision. Let me explain. Shortly after serving as the officiant for… Read More »The Wedding
After providing care for her in our home for five years, my mother passed from this life on May 19, 2012. On the first anniversary of her passing, I am aware that my journey of grief has passed through many different experiences, memories, and sensations. The feelings of sadness for… Read More »One Year Later
The emotions caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting them, particularly during a meditation class. I had no realization this was something about which I felt so deeply. I sat with forty or fifty others in the Buddhist meditation hall. The leader guided us in meditation to consider the ways… Read More »Holding Onto Life
It’s called compassion fatigue. It’s a condition involving physical, psychological, and spiritual symptoms. It’s sometimes described as a gradual lessening of compassion. It happens to care givers, both those in the helping professions as well as those who have a primary role caring for loved ones. It happens when an… Read More »Caring Too Much?
The story is a familiar one. He was a quiet kid. He spent time on line and seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts. He didn’t have many friends. He didn’t seem to want any. He didn’t cause anyone a problem. He was just a loner. Then one day people noticed… Read More »Social Isolation, Violence, and Compassion
In our last conversation, you offered to be a guest speaker at my church. When I asked about the topic you’d like to address, you said, “Someone needs to tell them the truth about science and religion.” My response was to simply state that you’d probably be surprised by how… Read More »An Open Letter to My Friend, a Scientist
I heard the news Monday morning after breakfast: the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, had died. Images of the former British Prime Minister ran through my mind. It’s difficult to forget her friendship with President Ronald Regan. I experienced discomfort as I recalled her cool, stern voice during her attacks on… Read More »The Death of the Iron Lady: A Reflection on Compassion
Christian Rhineland mystic, Meister Eckhart, asked in a Christmas sermon, “What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God 1400 years ago if I don’t give birth to the Son of God in my time and in my culture?” Recalling Eckhart’s words, I have… Read More »The Mythology of Holy Week for Today
