I cherish most the silence. When the temple has cleared of worshippers and all have gone home to their lives and their work, the silence descends and I can hear You breathing. This is my life. This is my work. Sometimes I want to shake them, to put my face in front of theirs and … Continue reading Advent, Week One (Hope): Anna
Once there was a people who walked in darkness. They had known God once, but God had been silent for a long time. The golden age they lived in had not brought them joy. They were ruled by a wealthy, progressive, but corrupt government. Their own leaders used religion to wield power, to build up … Continue reading Advent, Week One (Hope): Light
I have grown used to flatness. I breathe in deep to absorb the pitying stares the careful words hands on my forehead. Breathe them in, push them down flat. Breathe in the wagging heads, tongue clucks, whispered judgments merciless assumptions. Shove them down, beat them to submit to my rage. Maybe it is … Continue reading Paralytic (from Mark 2)
Mark gets overlooked at Christmas. Mark’s is not a good Christmas gospel. Not like Luke, the most read and quoted Christmas account, full of wonder and story and miracle. Matthew is a close second to Luke, filling in some of the gaps in the story. And John shows the coming of Christ in a loftier … Continue reading For those facing the impossible this Christmas
So Advent has begun, and we are to celebrate his coming. We are told to celebrate that he came, so long ago, into our story. We are told to celebrate that he comes now, every moment, into our lives. We are told to celebrate that he will come finally, ultimately, to set his world … Continue reading How his coming should change us
View from the Valley 