Rivers in the Desert
This week's newsletter provides commentary on Isaiah 43, the First Reading for the Fifth Sunday in Lent; an invitation to celebrate mystery; and a blessing to our Muslim neighbors who begin their holy month of fasting this week.
There was a man who had two sons
Calling this story (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32) The Parable of the Prodigal Son reduces our focus to the one son. But the parable opens with the line: "There was a man who had two sons."
The Tower of Siloam and Suffering
Jesus mentions the death of eighteen people when the tower of Siloam fell and asks "are they greater sinners than others?" The implied answer is no. They did nothing that might cause their death.
As a hen gathers her brood under her wings
Two holy symbols from two different religious traditions. Placed side by side, they encourage us to imagine their relationship. Jerusalem, in fact, creates these moments regularly for pilgrims today.
Led by the Spirit in the Wilderness
The First Sunday in Lent finds us with Jesus in the wilderness. But perhaps this wilderness is already a familiar place for us after two years of a deadly global pandemic. I imagine we don't need a Lenten season to tell us about wandering or feeling lost.
Ashes Touch Our Face
I invite you to sit with your neighbor's difference. I invite you in the name of the Church to the observance of a holy Lent, by remaining with difference.
