Names Matter
We post-enlightenment folks tend to believe that names are simply arbitrary collections of syllables, with no connection to the essential reality of the people or things that they point to. Just as it doesn’t change the taste or consistency or any other tangible quality if I call my breakfast porridge or oatmeal, it shouldn’t make […]
When the Winds Come
I was out for a walk on a beautiful early summer day, listening to an episode of On Being with Barbara Brown Taylor, one of my favorite writers on matters of faith. She was talking about how, no matter whether we are “spiritual” or not, we have everyday opportunities to experience reverence – if we’re looking for it. […]
Contemplative Leadership
At the end of a seminar on contemplative spiritual leadership, one person said what I was feeling: How special it is to be with not just one, but a whole group of people who value this kind of leadership. There was a palpable sense of kinship around leading from within. Not controlling, top-down leadership, but […]
Buried Treasure
A friend of mine calls the work to uncover the roots of emotional blind spots “hunting for buried treasure.” This delightful framing encourages me to tenderly sift amongst my doubts and fears with more ease. What hidden jewels of self are these intrusive tendencies protecting? In the Parable of the Weeds,* we see the impulse […]
