“So if the Word is fully God, a person in that peculiar understanding of God as Trinity, our strength and our stumbling block to the rest of the world, he also is a human person known and testified to by a local religious prophet. And in the whole of John 1:1-18 the narrative bounces back and forth between Jesus as Word and John the Baptizer as witness.”
“Through all of this I was Christ’s. I’m with Richard Rohr when he says that the Soul is a God-seed (The Universal Christ, 2019). We are constantly in dialogue with that deep center within that is growing us into “what we will become” (1 John 3:2.)”
“Being wise is often a trait attributed to the elders of a group. There is a recognition that with age comes recognition of the long lives they have lived and the experiences they have had. Until recent generations, most have not had access to advanced educational programs, so their skills have served as their instruction. Many cultures that revere their elders’ wisdom seem to be those who are closer to their roots, the earth, and their traditions.”
“Forgive them Father, for they know not the use of turn signals”
“May we persevere in reflecting your light, Lord Jesus,
in all we do and say,
by embodying compassion and integrity,
resisting the forces of evil and injustice,
and serving each other and You in humility and hope.”
Oh that I had the eyes of a hawk to see your face,
the wings of an albatross to span the rift between
the world and your still waters;
the appetite of the dove for the olive branch.
“When I couldn’t muster any energy we all gathered in the living room, blankets and pillows surrounding us, and sat together on the couch. Moving into the new year I hope to pay attention to what my body is telling me which I realize I can’t do unless I’m willing to stop and listen and just be present.”
“The Herods have multiplied, and they are still afraid, and still killing the innocent. Anti-Semitism and racist attacks. Genocides on tiny minority ethnicities throughout South East Asia and the Middle East. Attacks on Christian communities throughout Africa. And here at home, the Wall and children in cages. And a planet burning up, being destroyed through human greed. Oceans rising and life dying, fleeing if they can. Too much. Where to start? Where to pray? Where to act?”
“In sitting with the teachers in the Temple, Jesus had made the decision to grow into who he truly was — Messiah. He had chosen to listen and learn from a cadre of top quality scholars who spent their days studying Talmud and midrash and discussing the meaning of scripture.”
“There’s an old saying about time flying when you’re having fun, or better yet, making that into a question of “Are we having fun yet?” During my working years, it became a kind of joke, one we would ask each other when things were tense, stressed, or frustrated. The answer almost always came with an “Oh, yeah,” said with a trace of sarcasm or resignation.”