Mass killings have claimed four or more American lives every week for the past six weeks, leaving 48 dead and eight wounded in their wake. Why do we keep killing each other? Why are we choosing to live in an ultraviolent state, ruled by domination and aggression? Why are we risking our children’s lives? Black lives? Brown lives? Why are we shaping a culture that demands we numb out so that we aren’t crushed with grief? Why aren’t we talking about toxic masculinity? Why aren’t we treating white supremacy as… Read More
Date Archives April 2021
What is Crazy?
On a long flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles (back in the days when we traveled on airplanes), I watched an old movie called “The King of Hearts.“ It was filmed in 1966 and was set in France in the midst of WWII. The Nazis were invading the small town, and a young Scottish soldier was sent to evacuate the town and secure the bomb store. Before he could, the Nazis came marching through. Suddenly the Scottish soldier needed to hide in order to evade capture. In a moment of desperation,… Read More
On Grief and God
On Wednesday nights I co-facilitate a group called “Sacred Circle.” We gather together as ten curious souls from various regions wishing to learn from one another and share stories of what we are learning about God, life, love, hope, fear and courage. Last night we talked about grief and God. To open the session, I offered a story written by Mirabai Starr in her book, Wild Mercy. She tells the story this way… During the lifetime of the Buddha, there was a young mother named Kisa Gotami, who went crazy with grief when her… Read More
Reasons for Hope
Rainbows always give me hope. In the Old Testament, when Noah saw the rainbow in the sky after the Great Flood, it was the sign that it was safe to emerge from the ark. But it was also a sign that the old world, the only world he had ever known, had been washed away. He would be walking out into a new world that he didn’t know. All of the mess of the old world was gone. The future that was now possible was yet to be revealed. In this way, the rainbow… Read More
The Thing about Easter
My friend Dana is a sculptor. She creates beautiful bronzed statues, many of which are on display at some of our national museums and public parks. When she isn’t working with bronze, she enjoys working with clay. She makes stunning glazed bowls, plates, and cups, each with its own unique shapes and colors. Her work is breathtaking to behold. The last time I was in her home, she handed me a bowl that had gold streaks running through what looked to be old cracks. When she saw me looking more closely, she said, “It’s… Read More