Faith & Life Inspirational Message

Someone who glances at the title of this inspirational piece might conclude I am writing about some kind of missionary work in Africa or some other far away country.   It might be concluded that I have decided to start saving lost souls, like I remember in some of the revival services I witnessed as a kid.   While that has not been the thrust of the myriad of pieces I have written heretofore, maybe I finally “got religion” and am now doing something worthwhile.             For the person who concludes this, I am going to be a serious disappointment.   While I do not put down the experience or commitment that underlies such a missionary effort somewhere else than home, it has not been my pathway.   I hope I would be obedient if God were to lead me that way, but so far that has not been my leading.   Instead, much of my ministry is done in the context of a college and with rather traditional-age students. ...

There are many different metaphors people have used to describe life.   Within spirituality some tried and true metaphors have been journey and pilgrimage.   Both metaphors function well to characterize life as it is lived from womb to tomb.   Of those metaphors, I like journey better.   It seems true to me that every person does a journey through life.   To be born inevitably begins the journey.   We have no other choice.   We are not able to do anything buy cry, eat, poop and sleep! We cannot even get up and leave home till we already are one year old.   Very few nine month olds can even get mad and crawl out the house!   So those early days of our journeys are always with someone’s help.   And for many folks the end of the journey also is negotiated with other’s help.   I recall both of my parents moving into the hospice situation and being nearly helpless to continue their few remaining days on their own.   But the...

This is a challenging question. But it is not helpful until we have a context for the question. In other words, where is “here?” Unless we have that context, we cannot really answer the question, “why am I here?” And if we do not have a context for the question, I am confident we will provide one. My focus on the question came with some reading in one of Thomas Merton’s Journals. I am teaching a seminar on Merton’s spirituality the next few months, so I again am immersing myself in the writings of this twentieth century monk. Merton died tragically in Thailand in 1968 when he returned to his hotel room after speaking to a gathering of Roman Catholic monks and Buddhist monks. Throughout the 1960s Merton had become significantly involved in the interfaith dialogue that characterize that age. It is amazing how much this monk who lived in the middle of nowhere in Kentucky with a vow of silence was saying to the entire world! Merton’s life is so fascinating because...

In an encounter with a good friend yesterday, I was confronted with a question.   Simply put, my friend said, “why don’t you write about compassion?”   “Ok,” I thought.   That should be easy.   I know the Greek and Latin words for compassion.   I even know what those words are in German and French and could even make a good guess in Spanish.   So I know a great deal about it…right? Of course, intellectually I know quite a bit about compassion.   I probably could do a lecture on it and possibly impress a few who don’t know Greek and Latin.   But I do not really like to stay at that level.   And I gave up lecturing a long time ago…passive learning I tell the students.   I want you engaged, active, and really learning.   If I am doing all the talking, how can I possibly know whether you are learning? Instead of Greek and Latin, the only real place to begin is with experience.   As in most things having to do with spiritual...

Once a year a special day rolls around for everyone.   Once a year folks can celebrate their birthday.   The only exception is those people who were born during Leap Year.   But even they get their day once every four years.   Some people can’t wait for their birthdays.   Usually kids fall into this category.   Others proclaim every year that it comes, “I can’t believe I am as old as I am.”   I have heard people in their 20s say this and, of course, older people readily claim it.   We are all born on a particular day.   Even if mom’s labor begins late at night and it actually takes two days to deliver you into this world, you only get one day to call your birthday.   Even if you popped out exactly as the midnight clock was striking, someone besides you would decide which day you were born.   And once we get our day, it never changes.   Some birthdays are fun---real celebrations.   Other birthdays have a sad tone. ...

Maybe I should have put the title of this reflection in quotations.  I probably should do that because it is actually a sentence from Krista Tippett’s fairly recent book, Becoming Wise .  Tippett is a great writer and much of what she writes is quite quotable.  In her second chapter, “Words: The Poetry of Creatures,” Tippett says, “Words make worlds.”  I smiled and nodded my head in approval.  Those three little words packaged in one powerful sentence opened up a whole field of thought.  It is amazing how three small worlds can signify so much.  In order to open up some of my thinking, I want to go to the beginning of that paragraph in Tippett’s chapter.  At the outset she writes, “I take it as an elemental truth of life that words matter.”  I am sure if you ask any of my students, they would affirm that I live by the truth of those words from Tippett.  Words do matter.  Words can inspire, depress.  They can point to truths...

I am attracted to the idea of serendipity.  But I also find it mysterious.  It is one of those things I am confident happens, but at one level I am at a loss to explain it.  In that it resembles the Spirit.  That, too, seems true to me, but I cannot explain that one either. We can always resort to the dictionary.  If you go there, you will find definitions to the effect that serendipity is finding something valuable, delightful, or sweet…and you did not expect it. In my simple words, serendipity is having good things happen that I did not plan for and could not have expected.  I cannot imagine anyone saying, “Oh please, do not let anything serendipitous happen today!  Please don’t let anything unexpectedly delightful come into my life.  Oh Lord, let nothing of value befall me this day.” Serendipity is not the result of my plans.  I cannot scheme between breakfast and mid-morning coffee and guarantee that serendipity will deliver in the af...