Resisting Love
There is a story near the beginning of Gregory Boyle’s wonderful book, Tattoos of the Heart, that moved me deeply. In the account, Father Greg is getting to know Rigo, a 15-year-old young man he’s visiting in prison, and he asks Rigo about his mother. “That’s her over there,” Rigo points. “There’s no one like her. […]
How Does Healing Happen?
“How does healing happen?” I asked my dad, a seasoned country doctor in general practice. “It’s an inside job,” he said with a wink. “Medicine helps of course, but the body heals from its own resources. We honestly don’t know all that much about how the immune system works, or why healing happens better for […]
The Teacher and the Tempest
Mark 4:35-41 Jesus had been teaching by the sea, telling stories about lights hidden under baskets, scattering seeds, and the way in which they best grow. After the lessons, he told his students, “let’s cross over to the farthest shore.” Enough stories for now. The hearers are sated from his rich and mysterious words, yet […]
Lessons from Growing Seeds
I haven’t planted flower seeds in a long time. So I smiled this spring, on Mother’s Day, when my daughter gave me six packets of seeds. I read the instructions carefully: just scatter the wildflower seeds; soak the sweet pea seeds for a day first; plant the zinnias and snapdragons and poppies right away, just […]