Articles on Listening
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Blessings Upon Blessings
There’s a wonderful, little-known story in the Bible about a frightened king who wants to curse his enemies (the Israelites encamped on his border), a sorcerer with a big ego, a sword-wielding angel of the Lord, and a talking donkey. One day the frightened king seeks out a famous sorcerer, Balaam, to come and curse […]
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Living Hospitality
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: […]
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Solace Amid the Darkness
Life in 2020 felt almost apocalyptic with most things coming to a halt. In one respect, the world became eerily silent and void of social interaction, yet cries of grief, anguish, protest, and the banter of partisan opinions screamed at us daily. The highs and lows of 2020 were drastic. During the highs, the quiet […]
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How Long, Lord? How Long?
How Long, Lord? How Long? Several weeks ago, I was in a Zoom meeting and got an urgent text from the church administrator: “There’s an active shooter in the neighborhood.” I hopped off the call and raced to the church. The daycare staff had already locked down their end of the building. So, we secured […]
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What Does Therese of Lisieux Have to Do with Anti-Racism?
A recent trip to Lisieux deepened my understanding of Therese of the Little Flower and her spirituality. I was surprised and delighted with what she had to teach me – about surrender and faith and about persistence in learning how to be an anti-racist in America. While I have been involved in work for social […]
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Transforming the Heart
In these last turbulent weeks I have been strengthened by this passage from Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” To be human is to have a heart of stone. We fight, do violence, lie, destroy […]