Faith & Life Inspirational Message

I very much enjoy reading things that make me think.   When I hit one of these pieces of literature, I realize how much my own routine imprisons my creativity and imagination.   I certainly do not think routine is bad.   I like my routine.   It makes me feel quite comfortable.   By nature routine is predictable and knowable.   There is usually a sense of security with our routines.   That is fine with me.             But I also know there is another facet of life that is just as intriguing.   The other facet of life points to the imaginative---the creative and innovative.   It is the side of life that is not routine.   It may be moments of serendipity.   It involves the unexpected and, even, the unanticipated.   Surprise is the dominant feature of this side of life.   I am drawn to this part of life, but I also confess it makes me somewhat uneasy and a little nerv...

If the first fundamental human question is “who am I,” surely the second question is “what should I do?”   In most cases these two questions are inextricably tied together.   What happens with one question affects the other one.   However, we can only talk about them one at a time, so this reflection piece gives focus to the question, what should I do?             The first thing to realize in this question is the focus goes on the verb.   In the other question, “who am I,” the focus was on the subject---on “who.”   But in this second question the focus clearly shines on the verb---“do.”   The implication is everyone should do something.   Not doing something is, in effect, doing something, i.e. doing nothing.   This tells me that human beings are essentially designed to be somebody and to do something.   The only questions are who am I as a somebody and what should I do, since I have ...

Sadly it seems, too many days the leading news is about some senseless act being committed against other people.   And sometimes, the senseless acts are against animals or, even, nature herself.   The kind of senseless acts, about which I am thinking, are the willful, intentional acts.   They are not the whoops---accidental kind.   I am not sure I have any answers, except the most general kind of answers that are not unique to me.   But I do have a need to lament.             In the first place I need to be clear that what I consider a senseless act might very well be considered completely sensible by the perpetrator who commits these acts.   For example, I think of the terrorists who regularly make the news.   I don’t know whether I ever heard or used the word, terrorist, before 9-ll.   Perhaps, I did, but after that heinous act of bringing down the Twin Towers in New York City, the word, ...

I try to follow various people I respect to see what kinds of things they are doing with regards to spirituality.   One of the people I respect is Richard Rohr.   While I don’t agree with everything he writes, I find his Franciscan spirit resonates with my Quaker spirit.   He and I are about the same age, so it makes it easy to understand some of his concerns and issues.   Neither one of us deals with teenage problems any more!             He has the ability to look at a common issue and see it in a way I might not ever look at it.   Perhaps some of that is due to our different backgrounds and experience.   I recall Rohr talks some about growing up in Kansas.   That might not be too different than growing up in rural Indiana.   But he also talks about his caring German, Roman Catholic family.   My family certainly was caring enough.   I have no complaints on that score.   But...

I very much enjoy it when I read someone I respect who is dealing with an issue or theme that I think is important.   More often than not, these experiences are both confirming what I think and also tend to take my own thought further or deeper.   Just such an experience happened recently as I turned to the daily newspaper.   I still buy a hard copy of my local paper.   I also read two or three online papers or news sources, too.   I hit this article by David Brooks in my local newspaper.   But since he is syndicated, it also appeared in the other online newspapers.            I was immediately drawn to the article by Brooks’ title.   It read: “Startling Adult Friendships.”   It also had an interesting subtitle: “There are Social and Political Benefits to Having Friends.”   I have had a long interest in the topic of friendship.   In fact, I teach a class called “Spiritual Friendship.” ...

I try to follow a daily spiritual discipline of some reading and prayer or meditation.   After all these years, I am still surprised at how it does not come easy.   Intentionality counts for so much.   The minute I am no longer intentional about doing it is the moment I began to fail.   For a long time, I thought I would outgrow that phase, but alas, I no longer think I will.   In fact, I think I could join a monastery and still have to exercise some intentionality!             But maybe it is not so surprising after all.   Perhaps most disciplines---spiritual or otherwise---require intentionality.   Naively I think the master musicians and athletes just do their thing---no intentionality required.   But actually I think that likely is not true.   Discipline is required at any level for effective growth and development.           ...