In Katherine May’s beautiful book Wintering, she describes the process of preparing for a physical winter saying: I have spent most of my life trying to push winter away, having rarely had to truly feel its bite. She is speaking of the physical season but continues to elaborate that most of us do not like …
In the midst of the contentious presidential election in 2020, I heard conversations on both side of the aisle that claimed the righteousness of their choice for president. I heard justifications and defenses, but I never heard actual debate. Debate listens to the person and the responds to the person’s points with counterpoints without demeaning …
As we approach the year mark of the pandemic changing our lives and shutting down schools and churches, I’m reminded of the reflection from Bronnie Ware a palliative nurse who shared the regrets and wishes of her patients. There were no mentions of having more or having bigger houses rather her patients’ number one wish …
In the wake of George Floyd’s death and cry, “I can’t breathe!” the Black Lives Movement revealed that just how deeply our society and culture is engrained in racism. The global pandemic that rocked the world revealed that healthcare is not the same for every person as more black lives were lost to COVID. Over …
During seminary, I remember there were two or three students who were doing a clothing buying fast during the season of Lent. I had never heard of fasting from anything except food during the season of Lent (a kind of convenient time to cut out sugar or sweets before Spring and Summer). I was intrigued …
The more we explore worlds from a long time ago and galaxies far away, the more often our five-year-old asks the question, “Is this real life?” He is trying to understand the role of story and myth in his little brain while also trying to process through the way his life has changed because of …
As we took our morning walk on Saturday, a truck pulled up beside us and rolled down the window to tell our five-year-old how well he was riding without his training wheels. It was a neighbor who always seemed to be heading out while we were passing by. He has witnessed the transition from walking, …
Many have noticed and noted that the events of last week have revealed the truth that there are two Americas. The unveiling that at our very foundation are racist and discriminatory practices and traditions that suppress and oppress whole groups of people is not easy to gaze upon. It isn’t easy to be reminded that …
As I have walked with individuals and families along the journey of grief, one of the reflections I’ve heard again and again is their surprise that the day after a loss or tragedy, the light still comes in the morning. As we were walking yesterday, I felt the same surprise. How could the day look …
The past few days have provided the setting for our favorite kinds of walks: puddle walks. As we walk through the neighborhood, we try to ride through every single puddle. The cyclist goes first and we watch the water ripple before the stroller takes a turn. It’s little small things like this that draw us …
