finding God – Page 2 – Rob's Reflections

God Laughs

I’m a planner. Some of that is by necessity. But, I confess, a good bit of it is by nature. And what does God do when you make plans? God laughs.

Twenty characteristics that make a genius

In keeping with my desire to observe Advent by seeking out beauty (see my November 28th post) and my fascination with Salvator Mundi (see my November 14th post), I just finished reading Walter Isaacson’s masterful and insightful biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. Isaacson concludes his book by identifying twenty characteristics that make a genius.Continue reading “Twenty characteristics that make a genius”

Five Advent Lessons

This Sunday, the First Sunday in Advent, will mark a new liturgical year. We tend to gloss over that in our culture, focused as we are on the big event: Christmas Day. However, Advent is one of the places where one can feel God at work in the world. Here are five ways to makeContinue reading “Five Advent Lessons”

Giving Thanks

Every year it feels as if I come screeching into Thanksgiving. This year that feeling is particularly acute.

Salvator Mundi

On Wednesday morning I met Christ on my way to work. If you want to catch him, he is currently at Christie’s auction house in New York City until Wednesday, November 15th at noon. After that no one knows where he will go. Stop by if you have a chance.

Finding God on the other side of Halloween

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 throughContinue reading “Finding God on the other side of Halloween”

Binge Watching for God (Part Two)

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.

Binge Watching for God (Part One)

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.

The Kumari’s Blessing (Part Two)

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 IContinue reading “The Kumari’s Blessing (Part Two)”

Three Everyday Thin Places

You don’t have to travel thousands of miles to find a thin place. In fact, it’s important to find them in your everyday life. But, you have to be looking for them. Here are three thin places that I try to visit on a regular basis.