There are few more fundamental questions for the human spirit than "What makes a life meaningful?" In big and small ways, it’s a question most pieces of art, whether literary, musical, theatrical, or visual, address. Today I’d like to talk about two novels that tackle the question head on: Robertson Davies’ 1970 masterpiece Fifth Business, … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: Martyr! and Fifth Business on a Meaningful Life
“Who do you say that I am?” This is the question Jesus poses in today’s Gospel reading, and it’s a question that confronts every Christian every day. The context of the question then and today is quite different, of course. Peter’s ultimate answer here, “You are the Messiah,” is obvious to those of us who … Continue reading Christs of Our Own Making: A Reflection on Mark 8.27-38
As I mentioned last week, a surprising number of the books I’ve read in the past year or so that deal with spiritual themes do so while also exploring themes of gender and sexuality. In that post, I explored that trend through the idea of the arena, at how these issues that are so controversial … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: All the World Beside on Flexibility and Faith
One of the most compelling, if challenging, teachings from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is the Beatitude that says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5.9). It’s compelling because it’s a clear New Testament example of God’s desire for peace. It’s challenging, because it’s hard, awkward, and often … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: Glorious Exploits and the Galaxy and the Ground Within on Peacemaking
[Note: Today I’ll be reflecting on the Psalm of the day. If you’d prefer a reflection on the Epistle and Gospel of the day, feel free to check out my post from 2021 on these texts.] A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the term VUCA. It was developed decades ago by the … Continue reading Unshakable: A Reflection on Psalm 125
Matthew Root 