Contemplating Grace

Sin is Its Own Punishment Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you. John 5:14c There are a number of common and misleading teachings about sin. First and foremost is that sin is evidence that we are inherently bad or flawed people. It is not. Rather, sin is evidence that we are … Continue reading Sin is Its Own Punishment

Experiential Time, Part 4 “Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time? That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and … Continue reading Experiential Time, Part 4

Experiential Time, Part 3 “Eternity is in the present. Eternity is in the palm of the hand. Eternity is a seed of fire, whose sudden roots break barriers that keep my heart from being an abyss!” Thomas Merton[1] Eternity is not an extension of chronological time, nor is eternal life something waiting for us at … Continue reading Experiential Time, Part 3

Experiential Time, Part 2 “…only the present is eternal and…all things having a past and a future are doomed to pass away!” Thomas Merton[1] An experiential accounting of time does not follow the familiar chronological conceptions of time that repeat in circular cycles, as with a clock, or in linear perpetuity, as with a timeline. … Continue reading Experiential Time, Part 2

Experiential Time But do not ignore this fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 2 Peter 3:8 In last week’s Life Note, as I attempted to illustrate how the concept of eternity cannot be helpfully visualized through the lens of chronological … Continue reading Experiential Time

The Kingdom of Heaven is Near Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe the good news.” Mark 1:14-15 Beginning in childhood and reinforced throughout my life, the stubborn concept developed … Continue reading The Kingdom of Heaven is Near

Nonviolence and Love, Part 3 …if I understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.[1]  Last week I noted that Protestantism is a product of the Age of Enlightenment, which propelled intellectual knowing into the most prominent and … Continue reading Nonviolence and Love, Part 3

Nonviolence and Love, Part 2 Then Jesus said to him (Peter), “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”[1]  How is it that so many Christians – professed followers of Jesus the Christ – have become such staunch gun-toting, Second Amendment, Stand-Your-Ground-law advocates? Either there … Continue reading Nonviolence and Love, Part 2

Nonviolence and Love You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also…[1]  The message of Jesus is inherently and undisputedly nonviolent. There is … Continue reading Nonviolence and Love

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 10 Active nonviolence calls us to slow down, to be patient, planting the seeds of love and forgiveness in our own hearts and in the hearts of those around us. Slowly we will grow in love, compassion and the capacity to forgive.”[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of Nonviolence,[2] … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 10

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 9 Active nonviolence calls us to be capable of celebration, of joy, when the presence of God has been accepted, and when it has not been to help discover and recognize this fact.”[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of Nonviolence,[2] based on The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence.1 … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 9

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 8 Active nonviolence call us to be ready to suffer, perhaps even with joy, if we believe this will help liberate the Divine in others. This includes the acceptance of our place and moment in history with its trauma, with its ambiguities.”[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of Nonviolence,[2] … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 8

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 6 To understand and accept that the New Creation, the building up of the Beloved Community is always carried forward with others. It is never a “solo act.”[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of Nonviolence,[2] based on The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence.1 I recognize the sacred in … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 6

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 5 Active nonviolence calls (me) to face fear and to deal with it not mainly with courage but with love.[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of Nonviolence,[2] based on The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence.1 I recognize the sacred in all people. I accept myself deeply. I recognize … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 5

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 4 Active nonviolence calls (me) to renounce dualism, the “we-they” mentality. This divides us into “good people/bad people and allows us to demonize the adversary. It is the root of authoritarianism and exclusivist behavior. It generates racism and makes possible conflicts and wars.[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 4

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 3 Active nonviolence calls (me) to recognize that what I resent, and perhaps even detest, in another, comes from my difficulty in admitting that this same reality lives also in me.[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of Nonviolence,[2] based on The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence.1 I recognize … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 3

Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 2 Active nonviolence call us to accept (ourselves) deeply, “who I am” with all my gifts and richness, with all my limitations, errors, failings and weaknesses, and to realize that I am accepted by God.[1]  Here are the ten tenants of A Spirituality of Nonviolence,[2] presented in Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations for … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence, Part 2

Spiritual Nonviolence Active nonviolence calls us…to recognize that what I resent, and perhaps even detest, in another, comes from my difficulty in admitting that this same reality lives also in me…[1] Excerpt from “The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence” This week I resume the series I began in June 2022 titled Guns, Mental Illness, … Continue reading Spiritual Nonviolence

Two Christianities You have heard it said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies… Matthew 5:43-44 I believe there are two distinct versions of Christianity. Of course there are thousands of denominational variations within the Christian church, each nuancing the church’s message, purpose, and practices … Continue reading Two Christianities

The Aftermas We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time.[1] T.S. Eliot The word Christmas means the celebration of the birth of the Christ, with mas meaning celebration. Thus, the (probably-not-in-any-dictionary) word Aftermas means the … Continue reading The Aftermas

Advent and Darkness The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:5 Our world manifests from darkness. The opening lines of the Bible’s first creation story read, “…the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…”[1] All new life emerges from under the protective … Continue reading Advent and Darkness

Advent and Liminality, Part 3 …Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word… Luke 1:38 Over the past weeks I have described Advent as a time of liminality, meaning a season that invites us into transformational growth and change. Our preparations for the celebration of Jesus’s … Continue reading Advent and Liminality, Part 3

Advent and Liminality, Part 2 A liminal space is the time between the “what was” and the “next.” It is a place of transition, a season of waiting, and not knowing. Liminal space is where all transformation takes place, if we learn to wait and let it form us.[1] Last week I defined liminal space … Continue reading Advent and Liminality, Part 2

Systemic Violence, Part 4 (Systemic trauma) is happening right before our eyes; yet the response of American citizens has been muted by the argument that what they are seeing and hearing is not oppression at all; it is compliance with laws. But those laws just happen to be rife with ethnocentrism, rejection of the stranger, … Continue reading Systemic Violence, Part 4

Systemic Violence, Part 3 Religions, governments, and all corporations and organizations are highly capable of evil while not recognizing it as such – because it profits us for them to be immoral. Fr. Richard Rohr[1] Last week I noted that society has ostracized a relatively new group of people from the fruits of our economic … Continue reading Systemic Violence, Part 3

Systemic Violence, Part 2 Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse. When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose. You’re invisible now, you’ve got no secrets to conceal. Bob Dylan[1] Last week I noted that our capitalistic economy is a structurally violent system. It is a significant contributor to the … Continue reading Systemic Violence, Part 2

Systemic Violence Cain said to Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Genesis 4:8 We can point fingers of blame at those who commit violence-against-innocents in our society, as we probably should. We should not, however, think … Continue reading Systemic Violence

Mental Illness, Part 6 Serious mental illness is a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder…resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. American Psychiatric Association[1] Last week I used Figure 4 to illustrate how my brother’s manic episodes seemingly shifted his perceived reality, circle C, outside of … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 6

Mental Illness, Part 5 Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypo mania) and lows (depression)…When your mood shifts to mania…you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. Mayo Clinic[1] It appears our circles of reality, individually and … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 5

Mental Illness, Part 4 We have done the people of God a great disservice by preaching the gospel to them but not giving them the tools whereby they can obey that gospel. Fr. Richard Rohr[1] Figure 5 illustrates a positioning of religion and spirituality in perceived realities. Area A signifies one person’s perceived reality. Area … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 4

Mental Illness, Part 3 We don’t live in the world of reality, we live in the world of how we perceive reality. Filmmaker Bryan Singer[1] Last week I introduced this diagram (Figure 1) as a representation of one person’s reality. Everything within circle A can be perceived by this person – physically, intellectually, and/or emotionally … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 3

Aggressive Media, Part 3 Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.[1] The form of aggressive media that most exposes my aggressive tendencies is that of sports. This is particularly humbling to confess because I consider myself a non-violent person, even as I faithfully follow and cheer for my favorite teams. When I was younger, I … Continue reading Aggressive Media, Part 3

Aggressive Media, Part 2 The soul doesn’t know itself by comparison and differentiation. The soul just is. The soul knows itself through what is now and everything that is, both the dark and the light. The soul triumphs over nothing and therefore cannot be defeated because it is not in the game of succeeding or … Continue reading Aggressive Media, Part 2

Aggressive Media And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. Matthew 24:6 A few weeks ago I mentioned a common form of non-physical violence which I will expand upon here – that of aggressive media. Violent … Continue reading Aggressive Media

Non-Physical Violence, Part 4 There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist most easily succumbs: activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to … Continue reading Non-Physical Violence, Part 4

Non-Physical Violence, Part 3 A lot of giving and receiving has a violent quality, because the givers and receivers act more out of need than out of trust. What looks like generosity is actually manipulation, and what looks like love is really a cry for affection or support.  Henri Nouwen[1] Violent, aggressive acts are not … Continue reading Non-Physical Violence, Part 3

Non-Physical Violence, Part 2 The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.  Elie Wiesel[1] In last week’s reflection on non-physical violence I focused on verbal aggression and how the words we say, write, and even think can wound in ways as bad or worse than physical acts of violence. Verbal aggression, like its physical … Continue reading Non-Physical Violence, Part 2

Guns and Immaturity, Part 4 Love God. Love neighbor. Love self. Love period.  Rev. Jacqui Lewis[1] Because we are inseparably interconnected with all beings, we cannot mature into our truest nature without first accepting others as possessing equal value and equally deserving of the respect we desire for ourselves. When Jesus told us to love … Continue reading Guns and Immaturity, Part 4

Guns and Immaturity, Part 3 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother … and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…  Matthew 10:35-37 We know that social media sites use … Continue reading Guns and Immaturity, Part 3

Guns and Fear, Part 4 Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay…And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability – and that it may take a very long … Continue reading Guns and Fear, Part 4