SIMPLICITY
I’ve been thinking about SIMPLICITY. As an idea and an ideal it has appealed to me since I first read Walden at 16. It still becomes a near-obsession when I feel overwhelmed with clutter. I long for it when I’m … Continue reading
Category Archives: Uncategorized
EAT
A word that’s come into new focus over the past few days is EAT. I was invited to speak at a Seventh Day Adventist college, visit a few classes and share several meals with them. They are a denomination that … Continue reading
DISCERN
DISCERN is a word that keeps coming up lately in new contexts. It precedes deciding. It’s a patient, prayerful, humble process of separating out or teasing apart the various strands of a problem or situation in order to determine an … Continue reading
GIVEN
Today I’m thinking about the word GIVEN—accepting what is given, being grateful for what is given, recognizing the given as gift. Wendell Berry chose this word as the title of one of his recent collections of poems which focus on … Continue reading
GUIDANCE
The word I’m carrying today is GUIDANCE. I’m interested in how it comes—in how to notice and receive it, how to make a habit of that noticing. People speak of it in various ways: “The Lord told me to . … Continue reading
PERMISSION
Rather than relinquishment, I am thinking of Lent as a time of permission—to pause, to eat mindfully, to renew relationship, to let go of “pleasures” that have become dry or burdensome, and seek deeper pleasure in quiet, solitude, prayer, meditation, … Continue reading
Bypassing Bureaucracy
“To survive spiritually as a member of an organisation, one must possess some special talent which makes one so indispensable that almost any outrageous behavior is pardoned.” W.H. Auden, The Prolific and the Devourer It is as important to bypass … Continue reading
Doing a Good Thing Badly
For those who observe Lent, this is a season of self-examination and spiritual exercise that begins with confession. “Against you only have I sinned,” we read in the liturgy of Ash Wednesday, “and done what is evil in your sight.” … Continue reading
Why read a poem at a time like this?
Because sentences can’t say it all Because metaphor matters Because lines linger Because lyric accommodates epiphany Because poems teach you to listen more astutely Because poems unmask euphemisms Because poems teach negative capability Because poetry is an antidote to propaganda … Continue reading
Reading for Dear Life
A colleague of mind began her “Bible as Literature” class quoting a rabbi who said of reading Torah, “These words are my very life.” The connection between words and life energy, blessing, and well-being crosses traditions; as far as I … Continue reading