A friend of mine [thank you, Janelle!] shared this poem with me, and I loved it. I hope you love it, too! Stay safe and be well. “Pandemic” What if you thought of itas the Jews consider the Sabbath—the most sacred of times?Cease from travel.Cease from buying and selling.Give up, just for now,on trying to…… Continue reading "Reach out with your Heart"
Category: Life and Living
Keep Calm and Breathe Peace
On Wednesday’s edition of “The Writer’s Almanac,” Garrison Keillor informed us that on Wednesday, March 11th, 1918, the first cases of what would become the influenza pandemic were reported in the US—107 soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas got sick. As we have been reminded multiple times in the past weeks, that was the worst pandemic…… Continue reading Keep Calm and Breathe Peace
Lent and Loving
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Liturgical Season of Lent; this is a time that the Catholic Church and most mainline Protestant Churches commemorate as a time of repentance and spiritual reflection leading up to the joyous season of Easter. In my Lenten Devotional this year, “Pauses for Lent,” I have…… Continue reading Lent and Loving
Ash Wednesday & (Cosmic) Dust
It was a very fortuitous circumstance that today, Ash Wednesday, my feminist theologies class was finishing up Ask the Beasts, by Elizabeth Johnson. This is a lyrical, prophetic text, in which Johnson makes a compelling argument that care for creation belongs at the heart of Christian faith, and that God Herself is deeply present in…… Continue reading Ash Wednesday & (Cosmic) Dust
Dig into Black History Month
You probably know that February is Black History Month; have you ever thought about why we do that—you know, declare a month to be about something? The reality is, of course, that every month should be Black History Month—if that means learning something about and caring about black history. But, the fact is that in…… Continue reading Dig into Black History Month
Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. and his Calling
Today in the United States we are honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., commemorating his extraordinary life and way he changed US society for the better. We have by no means realized the “dream” for which King is so famous, nor have we realized the beautiful community he envisioned, but because of the lingering power of…… Continue reading Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. and his Calling
Waiting in the Darkness
For many of us, darkness is little more than a foil for the light; something to be feared, something to be endured, something to be avoided at all costs. And I get that. Bad news that seems manageable at 2 PM feels catastrophic at 2 AM. A health scare that seems under control at…… Continue reading Waiting in the Darkness
Buddhism & Christianity on Sexual Violence
At the Society for Buddhist Christian Studies meeting last week at the American Academy of Religion Conference, we had two fabulous panels that I am still thinking about days later. In this post, I want to reflect on the first one, which was titled “Buddhist and Christian Resources for Addressing Sexual Violence.” We had six…… Continue reading Buddhism & Christianity on Sexual Violence
Becoming a Time Philanthropist
I’m not a big time-management kind of person. I don’t do a lot of reading about it, and it’s not something I stress about too much. The fact is, I’m at high J [Myers Briggs], and for all my flaws, mismanaging time is not one of them. However, I do follow a blog that is…… Continue reading Becoming a Time Philanthropist
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Monday was a holiday–of sorts. When I was young, it was unambiguously Columbus Day: we celebrated the day Columbus “discovered” America and most of us had off from school. Now, in many places–though not everywhere–the day is commemorated as “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” but somewhat uneasily, I think, depending on where you live. I asked…… Continue reading Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Happy Lutheran 