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The Compassionate Life

Various people become my spiritual teachers for different lengths of time, from minutes to years. One of them recently sent me The Compassionate Life by Marc Ian Barasch. As I read, I found that the book added a strong layer of awakening to my motivation to serve. It is simply the best book I know …

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ISIS and us

Science, Spiritual experience

I chose this photo because it represents the quality of happiness that reflects the values experienced and cherished by the Muslims that I know. I have been privileged to know many such brothers and sisters for decades, and these bonds insulate me from stereotypes. However, at a certain point, I …

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ISIS and us

Science, Spiritual experience

I chose this photo because it represents the quality of happiness that reflects the values experienced and cherished by the Muslims that I know. I have been privileged to know many such brothers and sisters for decades, and these bonds insulate me from stereotypes. However, at a certain point, I …

Continue Reading about ISIS and us

Chipotle, Judd Apatow, and cultivating a quality of thinking

I went to Chipotle for a burrito and they gave it to me in a bag that had a short essay printed on it. I was captivated by it as I read. The title was “Two Minutes of Rambling Wisdom,” and it was by Judd Apatow, a successful writer, director, and producer of comedy films and TV shows. The on the …

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“A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”

Spiritual experience, Walking in beauty

When I read this quotation attributed to Maya Angelou on the stamps I just bought, I wept with emotion. And then I thought about it a little more, and came up with a more complex response. The contrast between an answer and a song is stark. An answer–in this context–comes from the isolated …

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Transgender? Gender equality and complementarity

A majority of philosophers today criticize “essentialism” in gender theory as an error that uses traditional cultural stereotypes to define men and women in ways that are needlessly narrow and harmful in their application. I believe that there are many examples of gender stereotypes that merit the …

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With all our strength
I’ve been on a quest to live–and write about–loving God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Yesterday I sent to my editor friend a revised section on strength. She discovered weaknesses in it. It didn’t take long for me to realize (this is a pattern) that she had uncovered a fresh, hungry need […]
Faith child
The faith of a little child not only enables us to join the kingdom family of God, it also continues to guide us as we progress. Jesus’s teachings and interactions on this theme are marked by a wonderful simplicity. And the variety of these teachings touches on several concepts that are part of the whole […]
Sean finds God
A 21-year-old computer whiz embraced the concept of the wonderfulness within, but rejected the idea of the spirit of God within–until two weeks ago. How did philosophy help? Watch the 9-minute video or listen to the podcast episode. For the video, I simplified the philosophy so much it’s hardly recognizable. I have organized some ideas […]
Falling across the Pentecost finish line
After acknowledging the failure of an experiment in the last class meeting (falling across the finish line), I summarize a five-week class, "The Journey from Easter to Pentecost." Then I distinguish garden-variety spiritual experience from the taste-and-see variety.
The Journey from Easter to Pentecost
"Lazarus, come forth!" Imagine Jesus saying this to you, and you saying this to others. Here's class that has embarked on that venture.
Composting the ugly
Composting, a process of transformation, a metaphor of a seven-step process of growth.
Happy Mourning
“Happy mourning” sounds like a paradox. Let's probe Jesus’ beatitude: mourning for past, present, future, for self and others, extreme affliction and daily sensitivity and responsiveness to human need.
A leader’s legacy
Jesus was the model for leaders who know they are not going to stay on the planet forever. Jesus made provision for continuing what he had begun. His legacy would sustain the inspiration, make it possible for people to stay true to the mission, and provide for further growth and new developments to come.
Militant action, mission of peace
Coming into Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus communicated a mission of peace and also acted militantly on some occasions. How can we understand this combination?
Jesus tried
When Peter said to Jesus, "You are the Messiah, the Son of God," Jesus affirmed his insight--and then commanded the apostles not to tell this to anyone. Why not?