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New Year’s resolutions and Jesus’ decisions in the wilderness

There is a custom of making a New Year’s resolution, for example: This year I will get organized. These resolutions are notoriously impotent. By contrast, a decision launches an action or a course of action: Today I will spend an hour organizing my work space. If this is to count as a decision in …

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Love and friendship after Christmas

Character

Aristotle (computer graphic) After the heartening response to the Christmas blogpost, it would feel like a betrayal to return here to business as usual. I offer a few observations and reflections on friendship, dedicated to you who responded so generously to that previous message. I love …

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Christmas letter: meaning, value, and family news

Spiritual experience

Wise men still seek him--and find him. Beloveds, (This is a short form for my mantra: You are a divinely created, infinitely loved, spiritually indwelt, evolutionary, free-will, son or daughter of God!) Christmas—for so many of us, a holiday brimming with meaning and value. It is also a great time …

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Shin Buddhist faith–how close to Christianity?

Spiritual experience

Christians sometimes wonder, debate, and pray about the salvation of non-Christians. An answer to this question by Wilfred Cantwell Smith was that if it takes faith to be saved, then those are saved whose central affirmation is, “I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the dharma (teaching). I …

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When it doesn’t make any difference which alternative we choose

Morality

A friend of mine reported hearing once unmistakably from God. She had debated intensely and at length between two passions: to pursue a career in opera or to go to seminary and then into the ministry. Exhausted by the struggle, she heard, “It doesn’t make any difference.” We have heard about …

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Wisdom from Tagore for transcending foolish polarization

Arts, Philosophy, Science, Spiritual experience

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) 1909 When perspectives clash, we do well to keep three dimensions in mind: affirming our common humanity, trying to understand our differences, and cherishing the unique personality of every individual. To disparage the notion of a common humanity (since it is so …

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