Lost faith

In his book, "Faith Interrupted," Edward Lax shares the story of his journey of faith. His father was an Episcopal priest and Edward felt the pressure to follow in his father's footsteps. In the book, Edward reflects on some advice his father gave him when he said, "Christianity comes down to only one thing - that is to love one another. The miracles are all window dressing."

Absence of God

In Colum McCann's epic and best selling novel, Let the Great World Spin," Corrigan says, "That' s what I like about God. You get to know him by his occasional absence."
I wonder is it God who is absent or is it we who are absent to where God is present?

Looking & Eating

Simone Weil, a French Jew who died of hunger during the Second World War wrote: "The great trouble in human life is that looking and eating are two different operations. It may be that vice, depravity and crime are nearly always, or even perhaps always, in their essence attempts to eat beauty, to eat what we should only look at."

Epiphany

The Three Wise Women would have first asked for directions; arrived early, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, brought a casserole and brought practical gifts.

What language does God speak?

There is a legend of an African boy called Emmanuel, who was always asking questions. One day he asked the question, “What language does God speak?” No one could answer him. He traveled all over the country to find an answer but did not get a satisfactory answer. Eventually, he set out for distant lands to find the answer. For a long time, he had no success. At last, he came one night to a village called Bethlehem and as there was no room in the local inn, he went outside the village in search of a shelter for the night. He came to a cave and found that it too was occupied by a couple and a child. He was about to turn away when the young mother spoke, “Welcome Emmanuel, we’ve been waiting for you.” The boy was amazed that the woman knew his name. He was even more amazed when she went on to say, “For a long time, you have been searching the world over to find out what language God speaks. Well, now the journey is over. Tonight, you can see with your own eyes, what language God speaks. He speaks the language of love, that is expressed in sharing, understanding, mercy and total acceptance.

Being Human

I came across an interesting quote from Rabbi Abraham Heschel recently about the difference between being human and being a human being. He said: " The body is not a prison but an opportunity. We must distinguish between being human and human beings. We are born human beings. What we must acquire is being human. Being human is the essential - the decisive achievement of a human being."

Being Accepted:
"I must know that I am accepted at my worst. God shows me to myself as worse than I had ever conceived - a crucifier of the sinless one - in order to leave in me no possible room for doubt - that is to say no possible further experience of evil that might create doubt - that he loves me and accepts me." - English theologian, Sabastian Moore, The Crucified Jesus is no Stranger