As I wrote the other week in my reflection on the Resurrection, I have long appreciated the metaphor of Spring. Since growth is also a favorite metaphor, this should come as no surprise, and indeed, the first blushes of new life are so very welcome after a long and difficult winter! But more than just … Continue reading Change of Seasons
For this week’s sacred practice, I returned to an old favorite: the gratitude practice known as ‘Three Good Things.’ This is a practice I have been doing consistently for close to six years, and is the one practice I actively recommend to friends who are going through difficult seasons of life. Despite its simplicity — … Continue reading Three Good Things
I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long and trying few months for me. There’s a lot going on in the world and the needs around us are more visible than ever. Because of this, there is a never-ending push to do more. It can often be overwhelming. Throughout my adult life, whenever … Continue reading Rest
Between the arrival of Spring and this season of Easter we’re about to enter, it’s no surprise that my mind of late has been occupied with thoughts of resurrection and new life. Both images are fertile ground as metaphors for our lives. But, whereas the metaphor of Spring suggests a slow and barely perceptible shift … Continue reading Mourning into Joy: Reflections on the Resurrection
I love the metaphor of growth for discussing the spiritual life. From Psalm 1’s stunning image of the faithful person being “like a tree planted by streams of water,” whose leaf will not wither, and who will prosper, bearing forth fruit in its season; to the prophetic image of Israel as a vineyard; to John … Continue reading The Shadow Side of Growth
Matthew Root 