This past Sunday, I reflected on the beautiful words of Isaiah 43.1, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” The theme of that post was on the interplay of specificity and generality of God’s call, how God calls all of us (generally), but all of … Continue reading The Great Reversal: Further Thoughts on Isaiah 43.1-7
There was a time a few years ago when I was feeling particularly low. It wasn’t a clinical depression, nor was it just the usual frustrations of work, dating, politics and whatnot. It was more of a pervasive feeling of being isolated, invisible, misunderstood, and anonymous in the world. Then one evening, my spiritual director … Continue reading Called by Name: A Reflection on Isaiah 43.1-7 and The Baptism of Jesus
I was recently reminded of a bumper sticker that was popular among Christians about twenty years ago that read, “Wise men still seek Him.” It’s a lovely (if gendered!) sentiment, using the figures of the Magi, those Astrologer-Priests from the ‘East’ who visit the baby Jesus, as examples for us of what wisdom looks like. … Continue reading Wise Men Still … : A Reflection on Epiphany 2022
On the Second Sunday of Christmas, the lectionary directs us to the wonderful prologue of the Gospel according to John, a beautiful and profound hymn to the Mystery of God and the incarnation. Last year, I wrote about how the full and perfect theophany that is Jesus reveals to us not only who God is, … Continue reading Divine Vulnerability: A Reflection on John 1.1-18
Much like 2020, I entered January 2021 hoping to read less than the year before. But, once again, circumstances both external (the ongoing pandemic) and internal (adding reading spiritual books to my sacred practices for the year, and audiobooks replacing podcasts as my primary listening material) conspired to have me read more. (In the immortal … Continue reading Top 14 Reads of 2021
Matthew Root 