The Struggle of Dwelling “Mary knew movement, uninvited but necessary for survival. Mary knew fleeing and looking over her shoulder and thirsting for safety and vigilantly watching for danger. And with it all, trusting in God.”[1] In his recent delivery … Continue Reading →
Gut Feelings and Sinews of Compassion
Compassion from the Gut The Samaritan’s compassion came from his gut. It’s interesting that when the text says he was “moved with compassion,” it means that he was “moved in his bowels” (for the bowels were thought to be the … Continue Reading →
Lament
Every Wednesday, my parish offers a healing Eucharistic service. Compared to the Sunday assembly, this one is intimate and sober, nestled into the right transept of the nave. The “usuals” show up week after week. They pray for loved ones … Continue Reading →
The Sacramentality of a Home
Canadian artist, Timothy Schmalz, created a bronze statue named the “Homeless Jesus.” It’s a life-size sculpture of what appears to be a man without a home, wrapped in a blanket and lying on a park bench. The exposed feet carrying … Continue Reading →
Refugee Reflections, Looking Back and Forward
I had never given much thought to the subject of refugees until my first year of seminary. My fieldwork placed me among children of refugee families in the resettlement community in Clarkston, GA, on the east side of Atlanta, just … Continue Reading →
A Biblical Reflection on Human Trafficking
In an earlier life, I was an ardent thespian. I loved acting and directing plays and musicals, and even managed to get paid for my work from time to time. One of our favorite shows back in the ‘80s was … Continue Reading →
Grumbling and God-Power: A Reflection on Hunger in the Wilderness
My favorite part of the story of Moses and the exodus from Egypt is when the Children of Israel, once they are free from their suffering under Pharaoh, have been traveling seemingly in circles in the desert just long enough—about … Continue Reading →
Homelessness to Homefulness
I suppose Eve and Adam were the first tenants to be evicted from their home back at the beginning of Creation. Perhaps back then, grounds for eviction was failure to abide by the landlord’s contract, so they and all their … Continue Reading →