Yesterday, Nov. 10th, was the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht [and if you don’t know much about it, I encourage you to read more here: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht%5D Kristallnacht is “the night of broken glass,” and it marked a shift into a very public phase of the state-sanctioned, deadly Anti-Semitism of the Nazi party. Kristallnacht included: The vandalism…… Continue reading Kristallnacht: Silence makes way for Violence
Category: Bodies
Finding Home
This is the second post I wanted to share with some reflections sparked by Henri Nowen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son, and today, I want to combine a few threads that all wind together, with their roots in the book—but we’ll see if they come out as more than a tangled mess. Let’s start…… Continue reading Finding Home
Henri Nowen & The Prodigal Son
A book was recommended to me in May that I just now got around to reading: The Prodigal Son, by Henri Nowen. The book is a very thorough, very detailed examination of Rembrandt’s painting, “The Return of the Prodigal Son” [pictured above, on the book’s cover]. Even so, at the same time, the book is…… Continue reading Henri Nowen & The Prodigal Son
Being There
A few weeks ago, as a part of our trip to France, I found myself standing on Omaha Beach with John, one windy morning. Have you been there? To be honest, Normandy is not a place that was on my bucket list (even though being married to a man who loves history means that I…… Continue reading Being There
A Thought for Judas on Good Friday
On Good Friday, when death and despair take center stage, I think always of Judas, and his death of anguish, and hopelessness. His death of remorse and regret. His death of guilt and shame. Have you died such a death? On Good Friday, when the narrative of the crucifixion highlights so many bad decisions, scapegoating,…… Continue reading A Thought for Judas on Good Friday
Prayer and Justice
Walter Brueggemann is one of my favorite Old Testament scholars, primarily because I am not an Old Testament scholar! I find his writing very accessible, very interesting, and always thought-provoking and generative. I just finished a recent book of essays, Truth and Hope: Essays for a Perilous Age. As the title suggests, the chapters are…… Continue reading Prayer and Justice
A Miracle for the Camels
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples…… Continue reading A Miracle for the Camels
Decoupling Illness and Demons
“When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.’ Jesus answered, ‘You…… Continue reading Decoupling Illness and Demons
Celebrating the Olympic “Village”
I love the Olympics, especially the Summer Olympics. Certainly, I love the classics. Soccer? Obviously. Track and field? Top of my list. Gymnastics? Always, especially this year, with Simone Biles performing. Swimming? I’m in. And I also love the crazy sports that I only watch every four years: Synchronized swimming? Absolutely. Rhythicmic gymnastics? Gorgeous. Speed…… Continue reading Celebrating the Olympic “Village”
Whisper, “found.”
As I was skimming one of my favorite book of meditations and prayers yesterday, I found a lovely prayer by Rev. Emmy Kegler. It is called “For All the So-Called Lost,” and it is a reflection on Luke 15:8: “And what woman, if she had ten coins and lost one, wouldn’t light a lamp, and…… Continue reading Whisper, “found.”
