Greening Power
I am still reflecting on the silent retreat day at Dayspring this week. An unseasonably warm late-winter day, our time began with an overcast sky, a soft, warm breeze and bright birdsong. The cloudy sky was like a vast blanket of cotton balls scudding west across meadow and forest. Hildegard’s poem about the ever-creating Source of all […]
Uprooted
In the fall before the pandemic hit, I planted a small Leyland cypress tree by the door to the driveway. Evergreen and fast-growing, it has thrived and is now amazingly beautiful — 12 feet tall, lushly branched, and fragrant. A cause for rejoicing, this exultant cypress has daily been an icon of strength and possibility for […]
Courage
Every year, I adventure into Advent with a fresh sense of gratitude, and wonder. Wonder leads me to wondering, to questions about new stirrings within me, within my family and my community. Wondering what manifestation of Jesus’ life and teaching is being invited, even called for, now. The Christmas story comes alive in new ways each year. The same […]
Steady Truth
I have long valued the story of the tender-hearted young boy who liked to walk on the mountain trails with his friend, an old monk. One day, the boy stopped still, staring at a butterfly on a bush blazing in the sunlight. He cried out, “O, Father, I see God in that bush!” The monk […]
