It’s fair to say that the story of the Churches’ encounters with the Indigenous peoples of the Americas were, on the whole negative, and in many cases catastrophic. But there is one example that stands out as a shining light amidst the imperialistic darkness: the Russian mission in Alaska led by St. Herman of Alaska. … Continue reading St. Herman of Alaska and the Way of Standing with the Oppressed
Outside the writers of and individuals mentioned in the Bible itself, there is no Saint I’ve written about more than Julian of Norwich (who is not ‘officially’ a Saint because of the way the Roman Church defines these things but is absolutely a Saint for my purposes here). Two years ago, we spent the entire … Continue reading Julian of Norwich and the Way of Staying with Experience
Last week I went to my first Eastern Orthodox service in well over a decade. I was struck once again by its unique hymnography, which doesn’t shy away from either theological sophistication or deep cuts of biblical allusions, and which delights in literary phenomena such as irony and paradox. In all of this, this tradition … Continue reading St. Ephrem the Syrian and the Way of Glorifying God in Challenging Times
Of all the commemorations of the Saints on the calendar, few are as well known among society at large as St. Patrick’s Day, which is of course, today, March 17. So, it felt too strange not to explore the way of St. Patrick of Ireland today. The problem is that, while few Saints are better … Continue reading St. Patrick and the Way of Trust in Christ’s Protection
Last Sunday, we saw how throughout the Scriptures, in the life of Jesus, and across Christian history, the desert or wilderness has been a major symbol for what I call ‘the arena’ — that place where we as individuals stand up, show up, and test our mettle. The term used in this context comes from … Continue reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Way of the Arena: A Reflection on Luke 13:31-35
