Life – a cup at a time
The adage says there are no atheists in foxholes. I don’t know about that, but I do know that when we are at the end of what we can do, that is when we seek something more. According to history and archaeology, humans have sought favor from gods since long before monotheism came to be. …
Many people think forgiveness and justice are opposites, unable to coexist with each other. They are neither opposites, nor two different sides of the same coin. They are of two different worlds. To explain this, I will refer to two stories from two different tumultuous times and places. The first is the story of Brandt …
Grace isn’t natural. We aren’t born with it, and it isn’t easy to understand. But it is necessary to grow and thrive. Laws we understand. Laws and rules make it possible for large numbers of people to live together and cooperate for the common good. Even at the family level, there are rules — spoken …
Ever find yourself doing something stupid, but pride — or sheer stubbornness — makes you keep going despite your better judgement? Yeah, me, too. Those kinds of mistakes can be deadly. But they can also turn into valuable lessons, and be the source of unexpected Grace. I’ll explain what I mean with the tales of …
It’s difficult to live in Grace in a time of turmoil — for me, anyway. Thoughts and feelings get tumbled around as everyone and everything clamors for attention: COVID numbers, politicians, protests, counter-protests, job hunts, healthcare providers, bills, friends and family. I easily get tumbled around and lose my center, my grounding. How can I …
There’s something about being in the mountains that refreshes my mind and lifts my spirits. Other wild country can do it, too, like the canyon lands of Utah, but high-elevation mountains are the best for me. It’s been three years since I’ve taken a vacation, and that’s too long — for me, anyway. Even before …
But uncomfortable doesn’t mean comfortless. Perhaps you’ve worked hard all your life to get where you are, and you feel you deserve to be comfortable now. Perhaps you’ve never known anything different. Or maybe you feel like you’ve struggled all your life and haven’t a thing to show for it but more work ahead. But …
Is your faith boxed up so tight that Life is going to smash it to smithereens? Or maybe it has already. [A note to my atheist, agnostic, and non-Christian readers: We all believe in something, whether it is science, nature, humanity, Rah, Allah, Krishna or something else. When was the last time you thought about …
When the answers are absent or unfathomable In journalism, you’re taught to ask the six questions for any story: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. Scientists tend to concentrate on the What, When and How, with the others feeding into that mold. Philosophers and spiritual leaders look more for Why and Who might be …
I’ve had the good fortune to be the recipient of hospitality from many of people and in a variety of places during my life. Sometimes it was a simple meal obviously stretched with rice, potatoes or noodles to accommodate extra mouths. Other times it meant weeks or months of staying in a home as guest, …