Faith & Life Inspirational Message

When I teach my class on spiritual disciplines, I usually feel renewed in my life.  When I do that, I realize how significant discipline is for many different human endeavors.  I certainly knew the value of discipline in my more active sports’ life.  I suppose as I get older, it still takes a little discipline to keep up some form of exercise.  While I miss those days of long runs or the competitiveness of a basketball game, I still find joy in a walk through the Metroparks.  Discipline with respect to eating and so many other areas of life would likely make us all healthier and saner.  It is no different when it comes to our spiritual life.   As I have taught spiritual disciplines over the years, I have to think about books I want students to read.  As you can imagine, there are a host of books about spiritual disciplines.  Of course, the real trick is actually to get students---and myself---doing disciplines, rather than just reading about them.  For example, prayer is just an idea u

I don’t know when I first became aware of race as an issue.  I would say it was fairly young.  Growing up in rural Indiana meant there was not much diversity.  There were only a handful of African American families in the town near me, which may have numbered 5,000-6,000 people in total.  None of the kids in that family were in my grade as I went through elementary and middle school.  I recall almost no diversity in my high school classes.  No doubt, I was a racist, but I never even thought about it.  But then, perhaps most racists are not too aware---except in more recent times. College was different and certainly graduate school was very different.  My big awareness change happened in the 1960s when the Civil Rights movement was strong and public.  It is easy for me to conjure memories of King, Gandhi, Malcolm X and so many others.  There was significant legislation which outlawed overt segregation and America’s version of “separate but equal,” which everyone knew was a joke.  On a p

Even though there are always pressing current events that call for all of us who are spiritual to address them in that perspective, namely, what would God have us to do?  There is illness; racism still needs to be eradicated and the list goes on.  But sometimes, I just feel the need to go back to the classics.  Sometimes, I need to nurture my soul on the words from my mentors, most of whom I never met.  One such person is the famous rabbi-teacher in the twentieth century.  I never met Abraham Joshua Heschel, but I have been immensely helped by him. Heschel is one of the elite writers who stuns me every time I read something from him.  Recently, I had occasion to pull down his book from the bookshelf written in the 1950s, Quest for God .  The first chapter is on the inner world.  In true Jewish fashion, Heschel begins with a story.  They story is about a very poor shoemaker.  His customers were just as poor.  So when his customers slept, the shoemaker was at his work repairing their sho

While I have been clear I locate myself within the Christian tradition and, more specifically, the Quaker piece of that tradition, it does not mean I am not open to help from other major traditions.  To the contrary.  I have been given insight, encouragement and advice from many of the traditions.  Quickly, I can think of Abraham Joshua Heschel’s amazing range of work on the prophets, prayer and many other topics.  When I travelled in India, I spent a fair amount of time with the Sikh community and found them wonderfully hospitable and communally focused. It was with this background I recently read some things by the well-known American Buddhist, Pema Chodron.  She was describing life in our American culture and how the Buddhist perspective and practice can be a real help in the midst of the chaos and confusion that often characterizes current life.  Let me share a few tips from the Buddhist sister, if I may.   I like the way she talks about what I will call the frenzy of our lives.  M

I keep reading because I want to keep learning.  I know one of the tag lines all colleges and universities use is “life-long learning.”  I am not sure that phrase means anything to eighteen-year olds.  For most of them, learning has been life-long: pre-school, kindergarten, secondary education and now college.  Most of them have not thought about learning outside a school context.  So the phrase probably does not carry much punch.   Of course, it has meaning for someone my age.  I don’t have to read; I could actually watch tv all day if I wanted to do so.  I could watch movies.  Many folks are not actively engaged I thinking about life.  If we are lucky, we have a sense of purpose in life, although when people retire, they sometimes lack the purpose that has driven them for so many years.  Life does not come wrapped with meaning.  I think meaning is both discovered and created.   Even if meaning is there to be discovered, it usually takes some work on our part.  It cannot be delivered

I don’t watch too much tv---mostly news and some sports.  I am more interested in the local news, since I read a fair amount online about national and international news.  Rarely do I actually have a newspaper in my hand.  Obviously, times have changed over the decades.  But I continue to be intrigued by news.  I want to hear what people are thinking and to know the issues.  But I admit, I am not always fully present.  Having read much during the day, I often already know what the local news is going to tell me.  The problem with this is I sometimes miss something good---or only half hear it. That happened recently when a reporter was interviewing a young adult African American woman.  My city is more than half African American, although the surrounding suburbs tend to be quite white---not unusual in larger cities all across our country.  And the city residents tend to be poorer than their suburban neighbors.  Sadly, the education in the city also tends to be less able to take the stud

I can imagine, when we see the title of this little piece, we think, oh no, I have plenty of loneliness without getting more!  Getting more is not the point; to the contrary, I hope to find ways to lessen it for all of us. We had an earlier look at some features of loneliness which have helped me think about it.  For example, I was helped by the three-part distinction offered by Jeremy Nobel, who teaches at Harvard.  He distinguishes loneliness that is psychological or interpersonal, from existential loneliness to, finally, societal.  At times, I am sure I have experienced all three. In these thoughts I am following some leads from an insightful article in the alum magazine from my alma mater.  The first thing I want to share here is the recognition that “Loneliness was rising even before the pandemic.” 33)  Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon General, observes, “Modern progress has brought unprecedented advances that make it easier for us technically to connect.”  But he is quick to add t

Loneliness is probably an issue more now than it has been for a long time.  The times in which we live---pandemic, unemployment and so much else---makes it easier to feel isolated.  And with that, perhaps we feel like no one cares about us anymore.  We all know loneliness is not as easy to fix as a headache.  For that we can take an aspirin and predictably we feel better.  Aspirins do nothing for loneliness. I began thinking about all this when I read a recent article in one of my alum magazines.  Jacob Sweet, the author of “The Loneliness Pandemic: The psychology and social costs of isolation in everyday life,” made some very good points, which I would like to share.  And I go beyond Sweet by suggesting there is a spiritual dimension to loneliness and, perhaps, some aspects of spirituality in solving our feelings of loneliness. An early point Sweet makes is to note, “Loneliness is a subjective experience---part of what makes it so hard to identify.”  (31)  This was a good insight, bec

 I recently read an article by Patricia Lefevere who speculated what a meeting between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thomas Merton, the famous Trappist Monk in Kentucky might have been like.  Since I have done a fair amount of work with both figures, I was particularly intrigued what she would say.  I know some people who knew both King and Merton.  Both died tragically in 1968---King in April and Merton in December.  Although they never met, they had plans to meet---perhaps later that month of April when King was shot and killed.     King and Merton certainly knew each other’s work.  They had exchanged letters and both looked forward to a face-to-face encounter.  King would have had to travel to Kentucky, since it would have been unlikely the Abbot of Gethsemani would have given the ok for Merton to go somewhere to meet King.  I personally knew June Yungblut and her husband, John, friends of the Kings in Atlanta and who also had visited with Merton.  She was the one arranging the visit

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the life and witness of Martin Luther King in Memphis, TN.  People my age can remember hearing about his death and cringing.  We knew that would probably take the civil, racial unrest to a new level.  In my own case as a Quaker pacifist, I respected and wanted to emulate the non-violence that characterized King’s approach.  His life and ministry were grounded in his Christian faith.  It was easy to be aware of the others at that time who were calling for violent, forceful engagement of the issues.    I never met MLK.  I did know some people---a couple of Quakers---who knew him.  I knew people who went to parts of the South to march for justice.  For many the civil rights movement was linked to the peace movement trying to end the strife in Vietnam.  It was a complex time, but the issues of justice were very clear.  To do nothing was to be aligned with the wrong side was how most of us thought.  I wanted to be on the side of justice an

Regular readers of this know that I like and have been influenced by the writings of Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk who died in 1968.  He was an interesting character who was always looking for and finding God.  He wrote an amazing amount for someone his age…or any age!  He was not a trained academic, but had a really bright intellect, read copiously and continued to pursue his questions in life.  He was far from a perfect human being, which enamors him to so many folks. I have been an active member of the International Thomas Merton Society, partly because I hope there are ways we can introduce Merton to new generation of people.  I know in my own university, when students read him, they find him relevant and helpful in their own quest for meaning.  I have been privileged to be part of a new venture within our Merton Society.  We have been hosting some key people to share their “Merton experiences” with an audience well beyond our own membership.   Recently, we had the honor of host

I have thought about forgiveness and have written about it in earlier inspirational reflections.  But with a topic this big, it is not unusual to come at it with a different angle or to have new experiences that give you a fresh perspective.  In my case I have just read the short piece on forgiveness in poet, David Whyte’s book, Consolations .  Whyte chooses a number of ordinary words and offers very trenchant reflections and amazing insights.  The book has become a goldmine of ideas, challenges and encouragement.   Whyte almost always comes up with an angle to a word which I had never considered.  That opens up meanings that are fresh and helpful.  He usually captures my attention with his first line of comment on a word.  For example, here is his opening line for his dinky chapter on forgiveness.  “Forgiveness is a heartache and difficult to achieve because strangely, it not only refuses to eliminate the original wound, but actually draws us closer to its source.” (67)  Most of us wa

If we pay attention, we are very aware how significant change is in our lives.  In fact, I suspect it can be fairly claimed that change is the name of the game.  Of course, we are tempted to think there are some things immune to change.  There are some things that seem unflappable in the face of the assault of change.  This resistance to change comes in obvious places, such as the materiality of things around us.  For example, the earth itself seems pretty much the same day by day.  And the material things that are part of our everyday life seem unchanging.   The chair on which I sit, the table, my car and the list goes on of things that seem never to change.  And yet, if I get serious, I know my chair, table and car once did not exist.  Once there was a tree that yielded the table.  And the same goes for the wood in my chair.  And clearly, the car was pounded into being from some metal and plastic.  And some day I will trade in my car and it will be flattened into scrap metal for re-u

It is probably obvious that I spend quite a lot of time with young folks, since I teach in a college setting.  Some days most of the people I see are between 18-22 years old.  I really like doing this.  They have come a significant way in life already, but they are also pretty young and inexperienced in many other ways.  They often are too confident in what they think they know.  My critique of them is too many are not curious enough for their own good.  If we think we are pretty smart, we tend to be less convinced we have all that much to learn.  Along with this, they are often too narrow. Sadly, I believe, colleges tell them they need a major in order to get a good job.  I don’t deny they need some solid information.  If someone is heading to medical school, we do hope they are learning some things!  I don’t want my family physician coming into my checkup telling me she does not know too much, but she is a really good person whom I will like!  On the other hand, if you get into medic

I have the pleasure of convening and coordinating a group focused on contemplative spirituality.  It has a range of ages and theological persuasions.  I am grateful for that, since I learn best from those who don’t think exactly the way I do.  Someone with a different perspective makes me think more carefully and figure out how to articulate what often are incoherent thoughts.   The group was considering a couple short passages from one of my all-time favorite books by Quaker author, Thomas Kelly.  The book is A Testament of Devotion, originally published in 1948.  It comes out of Kelly’s experience of spending some time in Germany in the 1930s and watching the rise of Hitler and, then, the horrors of WW II.  Although it originally delivered as a series of lectures to Quakers in the Philadelphia area, it nevertheless speaks to women and men of all spiritual stripes---and perhaps no stripes at all.  I was particularly taken by what my group gave focus, namely, silence and stillness.   K

One of the things I very much enjoy is reading stuff written by my friends.  Some of my friends are former students.  Others are folks I have befriended over the decades.  When I read their thoughts, I sometimes know how they are thinking  It is like being in a conversation.  Perhaps even more so with writing, you can almost be in their brain while they are thinking.  Often I know them so well, I can imagine when they might have stopped in mid-sentence, looking for the right word or phrase. A recent piece I read by my Franciscan friend, Dan Horan, was particularly interesting.  I know Dan is working on a new book about Franciscan spirituality.  As you may know, Franciscan spirituality is the way of thinking and acting in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, the thirteenth century Italian whose misadventures as a young person led to his encounter with God whose presence radically turned around Francis’ life.  He founded a religious order that was grounded in what is known as evangelical

A big part of why I continue to read as much as I can is how much it helps me be informed and figure out what I think about myself, God and our world.  I suspect reading is necessary to mental growth.  I know I am growing older---everyone is.  But I don’t want to get stuck or become content with where I am.  There is so much need for new perspectives, new answers and even new questions.   I know this is true when I reflect on myself and what I know.  I feel pretty secure in some of the things I know.  I know I love my kids and can’t image anything changing that love.  I know I love my kids, but I also know I have to switch to language of faith when I talk about not being able to control how they think or what they do.  I have faith they will do things in the right way.  I have faith that they will be good parents to their own kids.  In this sense faith is different than knowledge.   When it comes to God, I realize that faith is more primary than knowledge.  Of course, I can say “I know

I suspect most Americans don’t know both the US Senate and the House of Representatives have chaplains.  Furthermore, I suspect some Americans are not happy that we do have chaplains at that level.  I have never asked an atheist what he or she thinks about that.  While I understand the history of the office, I admit to having mixed feelings myself.  My theology---Christian and Quaker---makes religion and politics tricky partners.  I don’t doubt the role of either one, but when packaged, they often have led to trouble.  I am not sure I could fill that role of chaplain. But I am not worried.  No one is going to ask me to do it!  All this is in the news, since the House of Representatives have just appointed a new chaplain.  The Speaker of the House made the appointment.  The choice came through a bipartisan committee.  The appointment is breaking news because for the first time, a woman has been appointed to fill that role.  Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben to succeed Father Pat Conroy, a Je

Recently I came across a line I liked.   Actually, I had heard someone refer to it and they had cited someone who has said it.   I checked that person and found no evidence she had used the phrase.   And then with a little more investigation, I find that it has been used rather widely by a range of people.   So who said it originally, I have no clue.   And here it does not matter.   The phrase talks about “course correcting.”   And it basically affirms that “it is about course correction, not perfection.” Inherently, that phrase has some appeal to me.   It is as if I am attracted emotionally to it and, then, have to figure out intellectually what it means.   As I have thought a bit more about it, I have decided that I want to apply it to life.   But life is lived day by day, so it means it actually applies in particular situations and probably at multiple times in our lives.   Let pursue some of the details. I am sure it is attractive to me, in the first place, because I grew up in