Of all the metaphors for the mystical pursuit of God, the most common is that of love. In fact, mystics and theologians would alike point out that since God is Love, the metaphor actually works the other way around: it's not that the experience of God is like falling in love but rather that all … Continue reading Unsatisfied: The Language of More in St. Gregory of Nyssa
Today is the feast of the Annunciation, when Christians celebrate Mary's humble acceptance of her big part in God's Big Plan, becoming the mother of Jesus and thereby the Mother of God. But what caught my attention today was one of the assigned readings from the Hebrew Bible, the prophecy of Immanuel: "Therefore the Lord … Continue reading God is with us: A reflection on the Annunciation
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?
Matthew Root 