While we might say the 'golden age of Christian mysticism' took place in the West after 1100, the roots of this tradition are far older. Today I'd like to go back over seven hundred years before the time of St. Bernard and St. Hildegard and spend some time with St. Gregory of Nyssa, whose Life … Continue reading Step by Step: St Gregory of Nyssa on the Life of Moses
As I've been chatting with friends, family, and colleagues this week, a theme that's stood out has been that doing new things is hard. Of course we all know this. But we're in unprecedented circumstances, and that means we're all doing new things every day. For some it's learning how to work from home. For … Continue reading Walking in the Dark: A reflection on John 9.1-41
In this little series on the mystics, my goal each week has been to hold up a particular gem of a Christian history to the light for closer examination. In doing so, we see both their exquisite beauty (why we read them) but also their flaws (how they can fall short), and even the awkwardness … Continue reading Humility or Humiliation?
On a morning when I awoke to find that my country was on the verge of closing its final international border to unnecessary travel, I couldn't help but find the opening words of the Psalm portion a little jarring: "He strengthens the bars of your gates." (Ps 147.13). Indeed. Never in living memory have we … Continue reading Contagion
One day last week, I slipped into the Art Gallery of Ontario on my lunch break. While I was there, I made sure to visit one of my favorite pieces of art, Emily Carr's Church at Yuquot Village. The piece shows a small white-washed wooden church against a backdrop of the forest. While the church … Continue reading Fire Breathing Green: The Multimedia Mysticism of St. Hildegard of Bingen
Matthew Root 