Governments and public health officials throughout the world encourage us to practice social distancing. Keeping space from others and limiting our social and work activities will slow the rate of infection for COVID 19. Social distancing will enable health care facilities to provide proper care for those requiring hospitalization, many… Read More »Our New Spiritual Practice: Social Distancing
It was a Monday morning. I had begun my shift at the hospital as the pager sounded. “Report to the ICU. There is a case for you.” That was 1981. I was a hospital chaplain then. I was called to provide pastoral support to the first person with AIDS I… Read More »Lesson from a Different Pandemic
I was happy for my friend. I’ve known him for a long while. Now in his forties, he began to practice meditation a few months ago. After a few weeks, the leader of his meditation group invited him to attend an eight-day silent retreat focused on meditation practice. My friend… Read More »It’s Just Ordinary
I met her at her home a few evenings ago. As we visited, she spoke about him frequently. She also referred to things around the house that she has now been doing – things he used to do – which she hadn’t done for years: yard work, home repairs, and… Read More »Clumping: How Much Can One Person Bear?
People started asking me the question the day before Ash Wednesday: what are you giving up for Lent? It seems that the time before Easter known as Lent has become synonymous with giving up or fasting from day to day pleasures, like candy, the use of social media, or… Read More »Giving for Lent
Sometimes I’m surprised at how much I am like my parents. I suspect that as we age most people come to this realization. Yet, in the moments when I have insight about these similarities, I’m truly surprised. Some of the similarities I’ve realized are small things. When I sneeze loudly… Read More »Spiritual Practice: A Prized Inheritance
Who doesn’t want to be happy? Or experience contentment? I don’t see anyone setting goals for the purpose of being totally dissatisfied with life, do you? Many people strive to be happy and live a life marked by a sense of satisfaction. They buy books, take classes, and even read… Read More »Happiness. Contentment. Life-Satisfaction.
I read and study a wide variety of literature on spirituality. While I am a Christian, my spiritual practice also draws on elements of Buddhism. It’s often been the case that Buddhist practice has helped me gain a better understanding of Christianity. Many people have drawn on both Christianity and… Read More »A Buddhist Christian? A Contradiction?
