A Mirror For Identity
Mary Cosby used to begin her New Testament class by bending her soft-cover Bible and saying she preferred a Bible that was flexible. Then she would say, “The Bible is not a manual for morality, but a mirror for identity.” I always found Mary’s statement reassuring and interesting because, to get real, no matter how […]
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 […]