It has often been on the margins in history, outside established power centers, that fresh social and religious movements have begun. This may be true again today globally as a world stricken by plague faces the shifting winds of sudden change. It was true in the fifth and sixth century onwards, as on the Western… Read More New life on the fringes/margins of Empire
I must confess to a weariness in hearing others say and saying myself, ‘I’m praying for you.’ That doesn’t mean that I will stop praying, or believing in prayer. But after eighteen months of a world with covid, including having the ‘long haul’ version myself, several situations of friends facing life changing tragedies or even… Read More Do you ever feel your prayers are meaningless?
Anyone notice a level of anger and even outrage increasing in society? Whether it is ‘road rage’ incidents on highways, or flight attendants facing unprecedented harassment and hostility, or restaurant employees dealing with boorish and overly demanding people, many of us are emerging from pandemic lockdowns with ugly attitudes. Where is this coming from? Certainly… Read More Are we living in anger and outrage?
Sometimes but not often I read a book several times. It could be a novel that I particularly enjoyed, or a history book that needs closer attention. Probably most often it is a book related to the journey of the inner life. A couple of weeks ago I picked up at a used bookstore a… Read More The Deeper Level of Letting Go
The future is a scary place. Especially when hope is scarce and fear is allowed to run rampant. I hear and read of so much fear right now. It comes from across the political spectrum, both from the right and from the left. And sadly the Church is caught up in it all, not often… Read More Dueling Nightmares of the Future from Right and Left
I was in Bangkok, Thailand in 2020 just a few weeks before Covid-19 shut everything down. After I did my business in the shopping mall men’s room, I noticed the front of the stall. It was a picture of an ‘elder’. I guess I had used the right one! (see photo). Elders can come in… Read More The Importance of ‘Elders’ Letting Go
How does the future look to you? In parts of the world like where I am at present, covid is retreating and life begins to return to ‘normal’. You may be reading this in a nation or region where life is anything but normal, instead perhaps in lockdown or curfew of some kind. In just… Read More The Future is as Bright as the Promises of God
I wanted to write a blog post earlier. But there were no words. Only a numbing grief and lament. In the past five weeks, India and now Nepal has gone through a devastating second/third wave of the covid-19 virus. This has resulted in the deaths of several of our friends and colleagues we have known… Read More A Very Present Help in Trouble
Though the impact of covid-19 is lessening in places around the world as vaccinations begin to roll out, there are still many areas and people that struggle. Some regions may not see the vaccination for months, in nations like Italy lockdowns are starting again. But for millions around the world, whether vaccinated or not, a… Read More Disoriented in the Fog: Life as Covid nears an end
I have wondered when or even whether to write this blog post. Certainly it was going to be difficult to do with the physical fatigue I experienced in the aftermath of getting Covid-19 in late September. That fatigue only lifted in the past few weeks, but still I weighed writing this post. These past months… Read More How to Survive ‘Friendly Fire’
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Encounters of Faith in Asia: Past, Present and Future 