Other projects have kept me from writing here the past week or so, but I’ve returned this morning because the Gospel reading today touched on something that’s been a recurring theme for me lately: the idea of stumbling blocks, and specifically being a stumbling block to others. In the reading, the disciples ask Jesus what … Continue reading Stumbling Blocks (A reflection on Matthew 18.1-12)
“Behold, now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation, a divine, new and eternal day, not measured in hours, never lengthening or shortening, uninterrupted by night. For us it is the day of the Sun of righteousness, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning!” These words are from the introduction … Continue reading Jars of Clay (A Reflection on the Transfiguration)
I have just returned from vacation on Vancouver Island, on Canada's Pacific coast. It’s a place of wonder: of majestic cedars reaching to the heavens, of fathomless waters stretching to the horizon, and of mighty mountains that remind one why the High Places have always been considered the dwelling-places of the gods. It’s fitting then … Continue reading Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
My recent foray into Genesis has made me think again about the importance of names. Certainly in Genesis, naming has a tremendous importance and names are believed to say something important about the identity of the person or place. And so, Adam named the animals in the Garden, and the Patriarchs set aside places where … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
The most famous origin story of the Buddha goes something like this: A sheltered young prince slips away from his father’s estate one day and is confronted with the harsh realities he has not been allowed to see: poverty, hunger, sickness, old age. Once his innocent bubble is popped, there’s no turning back and the … Continue reading A Moment of Truth (A Reflection on Exodus 2.1-15)
