At the very start of his earthly ministry, Jesus proclaims “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 4.17). I’ve long maintained that repentance is more than just about acknowledging our sins (though this is unquestionably an essential part of it), but is really about taking on a whole new way of seeing … Continue reading The Shadow and the Beatitudes
[Good morning everyone! I have out of town company this week, so today I'll be sharing my reflection from the last time this Gospel reading was featured in our Sunday lectionary. It's Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount, and considering that not a month ago a Christian bishop was widely criticized by people … Continue reading Blessed Are You Poor (in Spirit?): A Reflection on Luke 6.17-26 [Repost]
Another weekend — a long weened here in Ontario no less! — has come, and it’s time to look at what has been lighting me up, and lighting my way this week. My week started with a great chat with my sister about chapter 2 in Wilkie Au and Noreen Cannnon Au’s The Discerning Heart … Continue reading What’s Lighting Me Up (February 15, 2025)
Towards the start of this series, we looked at Carl Jung’s simultaneous critique of Christian doctrine and abiding appreciation for the figure of Christ himself. There we saw how the traditional, biblical Christian understanding of faith existed in a place of healthy creative tension between the two opposites Jung proposed, imitation (which he didn’t like) … Continue reading Shadow Integration and the Incarnation
In an earlier post in this series, we talked a bit about how rituals of belonging — such as baptism, chrismation/confirmation, and the Eucharist — run the risk of hardening rather than softening the shadow by creating ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, which was the opposite of Christ’s message and what his work set out to accomplish … Continue reading The Shadow and Chosenness
Matthew Root 