christianity

The famed Victorian wit and amateur theologian G.K. Chesterton once wrote that: “spiritual power has been precisely this, that [humanity] has distinguished between custom and creed. He has broken the conventions, but he has kept the commandments” (Manalive). Chesterton's insight here is that authentic spirituality is able to separate what is important within Tradition from … Continue reading Other People’s Opinions: A Reflection on Abba Theodore of Pherme 28

A few years ago now, I wrote a couple posts about how contentious the question of forgiveness has become in our society. And I think things have even become more heightened since then. There is, rightly and necessarily, a renewed focus on accountability and justice in a lot of our culture, but this is accompanied … Continue reading The Trail We Leave: A Reflection on Abba Moses 2

One of my least favourite aspects of how Western Christianity has kept Lent is its tendency to act as though we don’t know how the story ends, as though remembering the Resurrection somehow inhibits the spirit of penitence. This stands in contrast to how Lent has been kept in the East, which keeps the Resurrection … Continue reading The Temple of the Body: A Reflection on John 2.13-22 and Amma Theodora 10

If there is anything that has united our culture over the past couple decades, it’s the love of a good controversy. Of course, we’re very divided about the controversies themselves, but there can be no doubt that we live in a click-bait culture, and nothing drives the clicking instinct like finding a way to make … Continue reading On the Spirit of Controversy: A Reflection on Abba Matoes 11-13

Today‘s reflection is a bit of a bridge in this series on the Sayings of the Desert, from themes revolving around sacred practices and spiritual disciplines to themes revolving around interpersonal relationships. In our minds, these don’t seem to be closely connected, but if the whole point of the disciplines is to train our hearts … Continue reading The Other Meat: A Reflection on Abba Hyperechius 4