Shining Light into the Darkness
My precious, precious grandchildren, This series of letters is an attempt to have you notice which “ocean you’re swimming in” (remember the fish who doesn’t have any idea of what water is because it’s always been surrounded by it?). I grew into adulthood in a Christian society in which Christianity was losing influence as the …
My dear precious ones As I said in my last letter, it is a basic human need to believe in something transcendent something beyond our own small self that gives our lives meaning—especially when life is difficult or confusing. Part of the reality of adolescence and young adulthood is life is often confusing. I think that is especially true …
When I was a child, my family would visit my father’s very loud, very raucous family. They were people who used coarse language at high volume and often their words seemed to me unkind. I seldom was anything more than an observer because interactions with them felt very threatening to me. Now I realize that …
Suffering is often a barrier to peace. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, teacher, author, and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, teaches that if we don’t transform our suffering, we will transmit it. We can see the truth of this all around us every day. Twin Roots of Suffering: Separation & Fear What …
In his book Being Peace, Zen master and Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn explains the power of a smile. The act of smiling relaxes hundreds of muscles in the face and in the nervous system. “A smile makes you master of yourself,” says Hahn. Buddhist teachings acknowledge the reality of suffering in this world and …
The World Mirrors Me Great spiritual teachers have used metaphors of mirrors to describe how we encounter reality. One such metaphor is that the world reflects back to us what we project out to it. If we project love, compassion, and mercy we will see love, compassion, and mercy mirrored back to us. If we …
I first posted this on October 2, 2013. It seems relevant again. The first reaction to truth is hatred – Tertullian One of the most difficult things in life is to stand up for truth as you know it. Nothing will bring down public scorn as readily as believing something that is different from what the …
Day 8: Discernment Versus Judgment On this second-to-last day of prayer, I pray that we – and all our elected officials – can begin to listen to one another with discernment and hope; and that bitterness is overwhelmed by compassion. Listening with discernment rather than judgment is one of the greatest gifts we can give …
Perception Is Reality I pray that we are able to recognize that our belief or truth is only part of the whole truth and that those who ascribe to a different belief or truth also have part of that whole. In this recognition, may we be gentle with those who disagree with us, embracing their …
Mercy flows from response-ability; the ability to respond. This story illustrates how we are intrinsically hardwired to respond to each other: Once there was an elderly couple who delighted in the little boy who lived across the street. They loved his daily visits to play on the tire swing they had put up for their …