An Enemy Among Us

I realize lately that when I write, I am consistently harping on the reality of busyness and its role in our lives.  This blog is as much journal as anything, a locale I come to occasionally to offer what’s on my heart and mind, and this topic is apparently a consistently weighty one for me.
In [...]

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How Far Will He Go?

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
-King David to the Lord God
How far will the Lord go to have us?
The King James translation of the Scripture quoted above uses the word “hell” for “depths,” an accurate translation [...]

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Repentance

It’s not a popular word, repentance, even in Christian circles.  All kinds of images come to mind when you think of it: a grown woman crawling on hands and knees on cold pavement for hundreds of yards as she approaches the steps of a Bolivian cathedral; loud and embarrassing wailing from overly-dramatic congregates during the [...]

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Returning to Silence

I’m coming again to revisit this earlier post, included below, from From the Silence, Speak, and more, the wisdom of the silence recommended by it, the contemplative prayer urged by encountering silence.
I am wearied by a lot of talk — my own, especially. There is a lot of it these days all around.  I’m finding that when I [...]

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After the Fray

In How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill paints a picture of ancient Irish culture by discussing Tain Bo Cuailnge, an Irish prose epic. In the story, the hero-warriors Cuchulainn (pronounced koo-hool-n) and Ferdia are foster brothers who love and fight for one another. They trained together under the same master and fight beside one [...]

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The Soul Dissed-Satisfied

Every day I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved — whatever may come my way.
-St. Patrick
I wonder about our willingness to endure “whatever may come our way” for the sake of something greater than ourselves. I wonder about how we in the “West” handle suffering and pain and what we do with it. [...]

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Letting Go of Guilt

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? -Romans 2:4

Guilt,
originally uploaded
by Grenen.

A friend, Joe, and I were recently discussing the prominent role that guilt seems to play in many people’s lives. In particular, Joe told me how much [...]

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