I wrote yesterday that I wanted to be intentional about spending time with the daily readings from the Hebrew Bible. Well, today’s is a doozy, filled with both the inspiring and deeply problematic elements we expect from these old stories. God has promised Abraham (at this point in the story, Abraham and Sarah are still … Continue reading Mercy in the Mess (A reflection on Genesis 16)
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the influence of our childhood experiences and family of origin on our lives. This influence is often very complicated even in the best of families, which is why so many therapeutic modalities involve a lot of reflection on these formative environments. For me, I see my family legacy … Continue reading Legacy
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of Pentecost, the celebration and appropriation of the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on Jesus’ disciples. My reflections yesterday centered on the theme of freedom: The Holy Spirit frees us from spiritual slavery, from bondage to fear and everything else that holds us back. But, as I’ve noted … Continue reading #Blessed (A Reflection on Matthew 5.1-12)
In the climactic scene of the book of Exodus, Moses meets God and demands to know God’s name. God answers with the name “YHWH.” The name is a mystery, and not just because its vowels have been lost to history. It’s a mystery because it’s really no name at all. It means something like “I … Continue reading Own it
You can’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. So says the conventional wisdom, and this is a (rare) case where the conventional wisdom is right. This proverb understands the truth that to understand someone’s behaviour we need to understand their experiences: their history, joys, traumas, motivations, hopes and dreams. As it … Continue reading Judgment
Matthew Root 