Not all those who wander are lost
Let us stipulate that God seems very far from the commercial extravaganza that now surrounds Halloween. I am much more likely to find God on the other side of Halloween, on November 1st, when we observe All Saints’ Day. All Saints’ Day is a day to remember all of the saints who have passed through our lives into the next.Continue reading “Finding God on the other side of Halloween”
Last week, I explored the role that God plays in the lives of four of the five 30-something Orthodox Jewish Jerusalemites in the Israeli television series Srugim.
This week, we learn what the angel that God sends to Amir has to say.
One of my vices is binge watching foreign television series on Netflix or Amazon. I’m not proud of this. Most of the time it’s cotton candy for the mind. But sometimes, when you least expect it, you find God.
Earlier this year I visited the Peche Merle caves, known for their prehistoric drawings, in the south west of France. Little is known about the purpose of the Peche Merle cave paintings. There is some speculation that they were used in sacred rituals.
So, as I made my way down into the caves and along the paths, I was prepared to enter a thin place.Continue reading “My 25,000 year-old friend”
Did you know that October has been designated “Clergy Appreciation Month” by the good people at Hallmark Cards? It was news to me.
So, in honor of all the clergy who are a part of our lives, I offer some insights and advice from Sei Shonagon, an 11th century Japanese noblewoman living in the imperial court near modern day Kyoto. She is, perhaps, an unlikely source of guidance. But her wisdom is timeless.Continue reading “Advice for Clergy (and the rest of us)”
In last week’s installment of “The Water and Sanitation Mystery” my colleague
discovered that, to his alarm, the project had not gone as planned. Household latrines had not been built and the one public latrine that had been built was not in use. Most concerning, however, the community was not capturing and protecting its clean water supply.
Trying to get to the bottom of the mystery, my colleague convened a meeting of the community Water and Sanitation Committee, whose responsibility it is to manage the project.
To them the explanation is obvious.Continue reading “The Water and Sanitation Mystery (Part Two)”
A trip report from one of my colleagues at Episcopal Relief & Development recently crossed my desk. I find these reports extremely helpful in understanding the challenges my co-workers are facing as they visit our programs around the world. Each of these reports is fascinating.
However, this one was exceptional: it contained a mystery. Continue reading “The Water and Sanitation Mystery (Part One)”
Author’s note: The second part of this story reminds us that, even after the most terrible of disasters, we can find hope and healing. I hold onto this as we count the losses of the most recent series of tragedies we are enduring.
The morning after we received the Kumari’s blessing, my daughter and I set out to visit the epicenter of the massive earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015. The memory of the Kumari’s gaze calmed me as we sat in traffic making our way out of Kathmandu.Continue reading “The Kumari’s Blessing (Part Two)”
Just short of a year after the April 25, 2015 earthquake that struck Nepal, my daughter and I landed in Kathmandu. We were there to visit the recovery programs that Episcopal Relief & Development was supporting. Before leaving Kathmandu to tour the epicenter of the destruction and our work, my daughter and I took an afternoon to visit the Living Goddess—the Kumari—and to receive her blessing.Continue reading “The Kumari’s Blessing (Part One)”
Starting on Sunday, as the scope and devastation of Hurricane Harvey became apparent, my email box began to fill with some version of: “What can I do to help?” I praise God for these emails.
When we see images of people suffering, we want to do something. That’s understandable.
As Christians, we are called to seek and serve Christ in all people and never more so than in times of crisis.
Rob's Reflections