The reading today from Genesis recounts what is for my money one of the most powerful stories in all of Western religion: Joseph's reconciliation with his brothers. While I have never done a deep-dive on this passage here, I have commented before on Joseph's remarkable, gracious reframing of his brothers' betrayal in terms of God's … Continue reading A Tale of Two Brothers
Poor Peter. Poor much-praised, much-maligned, brilliant, bull-headed, courageous, and fearful Peter. It's no surprise that of all the disciples in the boat in today's Gospel reading (in which Jesus walks on water during a storm), it's Peter who tests the ghostly apparition's identity. It's Peter who has the guts to get out of the boat … Continue reading It’s not the waves, it’s the wind
Today is the great and holy feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord. It is one of my very favorite celebrations of the Christian year. Last year I wrote about how and why the Transfiguration is at the centre of Eastern Christian spirituality. And when the story came up again in the lectionary at the … Continue reading Fear and Trembling: A Reflection on the Feast of the Transfiguration
The story of Israel as told in the Bible is a strange one. Whereas most of us tell stories that are carefully edited to justify our choices and responses to conflicts and minimize the impacts of our mistakes, the authors and editors of what we Christians call the Old Testament didn't do this. This story … Continue reading The Fight for Faith
Jesus' parables — analogies that explain the Kingdom of God — are one of the hallmarks of his teaching. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say, and the pictures Jesus uses do much to open our minds to the nature of life with God. (Of course, as Jesus pointed out, if we … Continue reading Parables of the Kingdom
Matthew Root 