Mirrors of Splendor
When John’s book was written, five generations had passed since the young rabbi taught. What stories would be remembered? His words and movements echoed still, like a bronze bowl singing as the wooden striker makes sweeping arcs around its rim. Jesus is praying to his Love, the Friend who’s heart beats within him, on behalf […]
Unpredictable Love
Jesus and his disciples are sitting around the Passover table. Yet again he has taken his closest friends by surprise, kneeling down to wash their feet. Finished, he takes his place again. “Love one another as I have loved you,” he says.* It’s hard enough to love people the established ways: to put food on […]
Pruning
This spring, I have done more pruning than ever before. Pulling away what is dead is one thing but cutting down what is alive is quite another thing. The rose bushes cut down to their knees, the cypress trees as far up as I could reach, the blueberry and butterfly bushes down to my knees. […]
In God’s Care
One of the earliest most indelible images of Jesus from my childhood is the Good Shepherd, the subject of this Sunday’s gospel.* If there is a psalm we know by heart, I can bet it is Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures….” […]