christmas 2020: the right now message
Why did Jesus come to earth?
Jesus didn’t come to earth so individuals could get into heaven when they die.
His focus was much more immediate, much more collective, much more political.
thanksgiving 2020: the space between
Broken. That’s what we are. Isn’t it obvious?
The way we communicate is broken—it doesn’t work. We approach every interaction from the place of already knowing exactly what we think, deeply convinced that what we think is the only way that is right and true and good. Why should we listen to each other when we already know the answer?
what do we know about tears?
We don’t know why humans cry.
We know why we have tears—they lubricate our eyes and can remove dust or dirt. But we don’t know why humans cry emotional tears.
Not only that, but emotional tears are chemically different than other kinds of tears. They literally contain different elements.
And we don’t know why.
3 ways to get your groove back if you’re feeling out of sync
I’ve always had good rhythm.
I’m not bragging, I’m just saying.
When we’re talking about music, good rhythm is, in some ways, something that can be developed over time, something that be learned. In other ways, a good sense of rhythm is either something you have … or something you don’t.
which country does the most good for the world?
Here’s a TED talk I stumbled on recently. Very interesting. Plus, the presenter has a British accent, so he’s got to be smart.
where is God?
Where is God?
This question has been asked again and again down through history.
Maybe God is in a certain place, like a temple or high on a mountain.
Maybe God is with a certain people, like the rich or those who look like us.
Maybe God is at a certain time, like 10am on Sunday.
Maybe God is where certain rituals are done or certain beliefs are held.
two ways: the only choice that really makes a difference
From the movie Molly’s Game:
Douglas Downey:
Two roads emerged from the woods.
Do they explode? I dunno.
You like poetry?
Molly Bloom:
I did until a second ago.
white in america: understanding our inheritance and taking responsibility in light of the george floyd tragedy
Like most of us, I watched the video of George Floyd’s death with increasing horror as it went on. But I can honestly say I wasn’t shocked. I was outraged, for sure. But I wasn’t shocked. Black people are simply treated differently in our country than white people are. And they have been for hundreds of years.
witches, social media, and the search for what is real
“I give up.”
“I don’t even know what’s true anymore.”
These are comments I’ve seen in the last month on my Facebook feed related to some of the conspiracy theories that have made their way around the internet about the global pandemic we find ourselves in.
Why are conspiracy theories so attractive? What is it that they provide for us, especially in a time like this?
we need a better question
Why.
It’s a simple, three-letter word. Packed with emotion.
It cries out for an answer to
pain
sickness
loss
betrayal
cycles of poverty
meaningless tragedy
struggle
loneliness
and fear.