Category: Spirituality

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