The Power of Ritual
Last winter, I listened to an episode of the podcast On Being featuring Katherine May, in which she discussed the importance of ritual in our lives– to mark the passage of time, to give us hope, to bring communities together at regular intervals. I found the interview so compelling that I’ve been thinking about ritual ever since. […]
Going By Another Way
I’ve heard and read the story of the Magi visiting the infant Jesus* so many times that the words slide past me without registering anything other than a slightly bored familiarity. T.S. Eliot’s poem, which once upon a time startled me with its immediacy and particularity of detail, has now become yet another expected, regular […]
The Angel’s Call
I’m writing on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. A wise time to go within… to listen for the crisp call of angels. As the light fades to gray, a bright red bird perches in a dark, barren tree. Now, all things are more easily seen. The air leans hard against us, heavy and […]
Life-Light
In the story of the annunciation, Mary responded to the angel, “How can this be?” That simple question echoes through the centuries and reverberates in me today. Close to Christmas morning now, my heart kneels in wonder at the incomprehensible mystery of the eternal Word and the specific Word of Jesus. The poetic beginning of John’s Gospel […]
