Taking Sides

Carol, you posted, “Alas, Mark, must we always ‘Take sides’–or is there a middle way?” You know the Buddha would say there’s a middle way, for sure. You saw what Dom Pedro did, no “ifs,…

Then and Now

Why had I never noticed the number of sick who appear in the Gospels? Who or what made them sick? Political oppression, legal degradation, economic plunder, and religious neutrality …. Extreme misery prevailed within this…

Tao of Writing

“When you accept writing as what you are supposed to do, after you’ve tried everything else–marriage, hippiedom, traveling, living in Minnesota or New York, teaching, spiritual practices–there’s finally no place to go.” –Natalie Goldberg, Writing…

The Work Is Never Done

Dear Abbie and Liz, Given your love for theology, I thought I’d share the following reflections on someone you should at least be acquainted with.  His name is Helder Camara, former archbishop of Recife, Brazil…

Word of the Day: Gassho

Gassho is the Japanese equivalent of the Sanskrit Anjali. It is the greeting, palm to palm, found among people throughout Asia, from the Dalai Lama to the Singhalese peasant, from the Pakistani weaver to the…