Faith & Life Inspirational Message

Recently I heard a friend use a phrase that deeply struck me.   I don’t actually remember the context and I don’t remember anything else he said.   But that phrase lingered long after I heard it.   It really was a phrase---not even a sentence.   The phrase simply says, “to make heaven on earth.”   Since I have no clue what he was talking about, I am going to make the phrase my own and develop it in ways that make sense to me.             I am going to take it in two contexts.   One context is overtly spiritual.   The other context is to use it as a phrase that makes some sense, but actually has nothing to do with religion or spirituality.   This might be the way you would hear the phrase in contemporary culture, much like swearing might use God-language, but have no real reference to God.               The first way this phrase ...

Although the title for this inspirational reflection comes from inside the text of a small article I read online, it was the title of that online article that lured me into reading.   I routinely read quite a few religious and spiritual websites just so I can be more aware of what’s going on in the world.   And it is literally in the world.   Once upon a time, you were current if you knew what was going on in your city or state.   Really “with it” people had a good national awareness.   When I was growing up, I don’t think I knew anyone who had been abroad.   In those days on the Indiana farm, to go to New York City or DC was tantamount to going abroad!             With the internet things have changed.   The world is as near as the click of the mouse.   So I try to follow the global news, particularly in the spiritual sense.   If I am dealing with students in my class who may live til...

It was while I was reading a really interesting book that I had an insight.   The insight itself is not what I want to give focus.   Instead I became intrigued by the process of getting an insight.   What happened?   How did the process happen?   Was it a matter of luck or is there really something I could do to enhance my chances of getting insights?   Let’s pursue this idea, especially with respect to spiritual insight.             The word, insight, is fairly simple and straightforward.   It is a compound word, “in” and “sight.”   Literally it means to “see within” something.   It means looking “inside” something (it could even be a person).   In that sense we get an “inside look.”   But it also is a little trickier than this.             If we were standing outside a house and peered into a window, we would not say...

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...

One of the reasons I enjoy reading a variety of things is because of new ideas that come my way.   Of course, I read quite a bit of religious and spiritual material.   But I like a range of other things, too.   I actually enjoy reading about contemporary science discoveries.   And the whole psychological world fascinates me, mostly because all human beings are psychological beings.   I read a piece recently that combined most of these different areas. The article was written by a Franciscan Sister, Sr. Ilio Delio, and it contained the gist of her comments to a gathering of religious women.   On the surface this seems like a boring read.   In fact, I found it fascinating.   In the first place, I was quite intrigued by the theology inherent in the text.   By theology I mean her view of God and how God works in our world.   Clearly, she is well versed in the scientific way of viewing our world---our cosmos.   I am always inspired ...

I enjoy finding pithy or great summary statements.   I just found one in my favorite Quaker book.   Thomas Kelly wrote the popular Quaker book, A Testament of Devotion , which actually is a series of lectures.   Some of these come out of his experience of WWII.   Kelly spent some time in Germany watching Hitler come to power.   He returned to this country.   One of the chapters is entitled, “The Eternal Now and Social Concern.”   The core ideas were originally a lecture delivered to a gathering of German Quakers.             The summary statement embodies so much of what I have been taught when growing up as a Quaker.   Kelly writes that the central Quaker message affirms “The possibility of this experience of Divine Presence, as a repeatedly realized and present fact, and its transforming and transfiguring effect upon all life…”   If I can unpack this amazing sentence and understand i...

It is hard for me to imagine anyone seeing the three words that form the title of this reflection---peaceful, happy and strong---not wanting a share in all three.   Can you believe anyone would say, “Nah, I prefer war to peace.   I prefer conflict to peace!”   Can you imagine anyone saying, “I much rather prefer sadness and despair to happiness!”   And it is just as difficult to hear someone saying, “Heck, I’d much rather be weak and hurting than be strong.”   Anyone in his or her right mind wants to be peaceful, happy and strong.            The real question is not whether I prefer these attributes, but how do I get them?   Is there anything I or we can do to make them come true?   Or do we simply have to wait, sit back and hope to become peaceful, happy and strong?   The good news is, there are some things we can do to bring peace, happiness and strength to ourselves and to others.  ...

As I have mentioned so many times, when serendipity comes my way, I am delighted.   I always feel so lucky when serendipity hits.   I feel good when I recognize that serendipity has just graced my life.   Sometimes I wonder how many times I miss something that is serendipitous, just because I failed to notice it?   This time serendipity came in the form of a John Lennon quotation.   I like John Lennon and the Beatles, but I was never a huge fan.   The quotation from Lennon did not even come from some music.   Instead it came rather innocently in some regular mailings that I receive.   Often I do not even read those things.   For whatever reason, this time I read it and Lennon’s words leaped out at me.   I am thankful.   I also am curious, so I did some research.   It seems that it is pretty dubious that Lennon ever said the words I am about to quote.   But I don’t care.   It is not important to me that they ...

When I find a phrase or sentence in a book that arrests my attention, I feel like I just found a diamond.   Of course, it is not materially valuable, but a great phrase or sentence adds value to my life and the way I understand life.   In fact, I wish I had started collecting these “diamonds” early in my life---maybe from college to today.   I wonder how many of these I would have in my treasury?              I am sure if I were to cull the various things I have written, I would have a minimal list of these phrases and sentences.   They would fill many pages in a notebook and would be a wonderful reservoir of inspiring thoughts.   Even though I don’t have that notebook, I still go in search of the phrase or sentence that stops me in my tracks and lets me exclaim, “Yes!”             I found one of these sentences recently when I was re-reading ...

Recently a writer for the New York Times died.   David Carr wrote about culture for that famous newspaper.   He is someone I read sometimes, but I was not a regular reader of his material like I am for someone like David Brooks, whom I very much respect and from whom I learn a great deal.   When Carr died, he was given much press and was lauded as very smart and quite influential.   My interest was piqued, so I read more about him than might be expected.             Carr was still relatively young when he died.   He was born in 1956.   I was intrigued to track his career.   Clearly, he had learned to make a living using words.   Jobs like his fascinate me.   I wonder how many kids think that they could figure out how to use words and make a really good living?   After all, everyone uses words!   He just learned how to use words very effectively.   He learned how to use w...

No doubt, one of the best things that happened to me when I went to college was my narrow provincialism began to be challenged and changed.   Provincialism is not inherently bad; it is just limited.   To be provincial is to be limited to one’s single province.   My growing up province was a rural Indiana farm community.   It was a great place to grow up---wonderful people and the values they held to, like hard work, honesty, etc.   I have been forever grateful for this nurturing culture.   But it also was provincial.             It was provincial for me because it limited my view of the world---my sense of the incredible diversity and complexity of the world.   Provincialism is a form of limited ignorance.   Very smart people can be provincial.   Smart people can be ignorant!   I was one!   I didn’t know what I didn’t know.   College began to change that and I have endea...

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 ...