The world often seems impossibly divided. 'Left' and 'right', 'East' and 'West', 'North and South', Black and white, 'sinners' and 'saved' — such divisions, oversimplified as they are, seem to govern much of our public discourse. As frustrating and even frightening as this may be, it is also a very human state of affairs. We … Continue reading A New People: A Reflection on Acts 10.44-48
Life is not for the faint of heart. This is true for every single human who has ever lived. But it's perhaps most true for those of us who engage with the spiritual life. As cliché as the metaphor of the "spiritual journey" may be, it remains true: Life is a long and winding road, … Continue reading Integral Basics, Part 1: The Search for What Comes Next
Throughout this Easter season, I've often found myself writing some version of the phrase "our lives are caught up in Christ's." This is usually followed by some explanation, like "because we are anointed with the same Spirit he was." It's a similar idea to the ancient Christian theological precept, "We become by grace all that … Continue reading Vine and Branches: A Reflection on John 15.1-8
[One of my goals for 2021 was to set time aside in the mornings for reading and reflecting on spiritual and theological books. Four months in, it's been a wonderful shot in the arm for my sacred practices and spiritual life. As I'm 'in between' series these days here on the blog, I thought I'd … Continue reading Book Review: The Very Good Gospel, by Lisa Sharon Harper
So far this Easter season, our Sunday Gospels have shown us how the disciples' encounters with Jesus after his resurrection empowered them to take up his mantle and spread his message of repentance and forgiveness around the world. My midweek post this past week picked up this last theme, exploring the ways we've cheapened the … Continue reading In Truth and Action: A Reflection on John 10.11-18 and 1 John 3.16-24
Matthew Root 