In a letter Jean Vanier wrote, he issued this challenge…
To be believe that each gesture has its weight in the balance of love and hate in the world.
A few weeks after the 9-11 terrorist attacks, Stephen Jay Gould wrote in the NY Times:
“Good and kind people outnumber all others by thousands to one. The tragedy of human history lies in the enormous potential for… Read More
The movie Beasts of No Nation is one of those gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and yet very necessary stories… it’s a film that is difficult to watch, but it is one that we should watch.
It depicts the story of Agu – a young orphan boy who has lost his family and is taken in by a commander of guerrilla soldiers.
When I saw the movie, I was haunted by this one line—spoken by Agu shortly after he had killed someone.
“God… I have… Read More
Behold the One who can’t take his eyes off you. Marinate in the vastness of that. —Father Greg Boyle
Our world is a noisy place. Especially right now it seems.
There are so many voices clamoring for our attention.
But there is a voice that matters most. And if you listen, you will hear…
Henri Nouwen said:
Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, “Prove that you are… Read More
*this post comes from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s children’s book God’s Dream
Dear child of God, what do you dream about in your loveliest of dreams? Do you dream about flying high or rainbows reaching across the sky?
Do you dream about being free to do what your heart desires? Or about being treated like a full person no matter how young you might be?
Do you know what God dreams about? If you close your eyes and look with your heart, I am sure, dear child, that you will find out.
God dreams about… Read More
The following are my notes from Sunday’s message – which included receiving communion together (with instructions to sit, holding the bread and cup, quiet and still before God—bringing our anger, hurt, sorrow, and fear into God’s presence, asking God to soften our hearts).
* * *
At the heart of the gospel is a table where men and women, young and old, rich and poor, native and foreigner, black and white… share a meal together.
Together as equals… sons and daughters of the King. Family. Kin.
In all our beautiful diversity. Every nation, tongue, tribe. Celebrating together. Sharing and laughing and crying together.
This is what Jesus did and what Jesus is still doing today: bringing people together.
This is a better and more beautiful way—the way of our Savior.
Last Sunday, in my message “When Doves Cry,” I said:
“All that trends toward death and destruction grieves the Holy Spirit.”
And, “All that leans toward life, all that contributes to the flourishing of life, all that brings and blesses life… the Spirit sings over this.”
I had a repeated line in the sermon… ” And God cried.”
I went through a brief history of events in our world that brought death and destruction, giving a date and brief statement of the violent, tragic event—each time ending with the statement, “And God cried.”
This week I needed to add a few more… Read More
* pictured above: the town of Assisi, Italy —July 2013
I save quotes. In my phone. On my computer. Folders of them. Ever-growing, constantly adding.
And there are times when I need them. When all the world seems to be busting apart at the seams, all hell breaking loose. When my peace has run away like a dog terrified of the fireworks on the 4th of July.
I save quotes. But sometimes they save me.
I’d love to share some… saving quotes.
The Saint Francis Prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is… Read More
Late last night, my daughter came downstairs with tears & sat on my lap. I held her & asked what was wrong (she’s 15, & honestly, I thought it would be about a boy). She said:… Read More
It’s hard to pay attention to something (or someone) you’re not close to. Closeness invites attention.
God is the creator of all human beings, with all their differences, their colors, their races, their religions. Be attentive: Every time you draw nearer to your neighbor, you draw nearer to God. Be attentive: Every time you go farther from your neighbor, you go farther from God.
—Saint Dorotheos of Gaza
Wow.
This is particularly convicting in our day because we have become so damn gifted at villainizing the other side. Whether it’s the other political party, the other faith, the other quarterback, the other skin color, the other sexual orientation, the other…
It’s as if we’ve become so hyped-up on detailing all the reasons why the other is our enemy that we completely forgot Jesus’ command to love our enemies. And neighbors. And brothers. Everyone, really. The command is to love.
“Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness;
and bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, and not laying accusations one against another;
but praying one for another, and helping one another up with a tender hand.” —Isaac Pennington
We gotta pay attention.
Tom Berlin said, “Being church means moving from the fortified position of… Read More
I have waged this war against myself for many years.
It was terrible, but now I am disarmed.
I am no longer frightened of anything because love banishes fear.
I am disarmed of the need to be right
And to justify myself by disqualifying others.
I am no longer on the defensive holding onto my… Read More
At church the other night, I noticed something happen during our 5pm service…
a family came in late, just after the ushers had finished passing around communion. This family found seats in the back.
I watched as two ushers hustled over to them with communion trays – they wanted to make sure everyone had been served, that everyone had the opportunity to receive the bread and cup.
This pleased me immensely. I was proud of their reaction.
And it struck me: the cup and the bread are tangible. Easily observable. Either people got them or they didn’t.
Of course our ushers want to make sure everyone has at least been given the opportunity to receive them. This is only reasonable. One could scan the room and see who is holding the bread and cup and who is not…
By looking, we can see what they carry—whether their hands contain communion or whether they are empty.
There are also (many) other things we carry that are not so visible, not so obvious, not so easily detectable.
How many people come through our doors – or into our lives – and are carrying… Read More
