When the Old Seems New

I just finished reading the book Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor by Leonardo Boff, and I found myself starting at the end, reading chapter by chapter from the back. Then after several chapters, moving to the beginning of the book and finding my way forward. I usually don’t read books this way,…

“Framed” With Love

The 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s collaborative retelling of the Christian gospel from the perspective of Judas. The musical shocked traditional Christians with its Judas-centric perspective and its emphasis on Jesus’ humanity. Many were not comfortable with a story of Jesus that was not in line with…

Blessing for Spring

The Blessing of the Fleet is a Catholic tradition that began in Mediterranean fishing communities to usher forth a safe and abundant fishing season. Even now, the tradition persists, and boats line up along shores all over the world to receive the blessing at the start of a new season. As we find ourselves entering…

Late Winter/Spring Haiku

Late winter is a transitional time, revealing things we may not have noticed and helping to prepare us for a new season. I really enjoy haiku, from Basho to Jack Kerouac’s “American Haikus.” For me, haiku can feel like a kind of peaceful medicine, like deep breathing or sipping tea, illustrating balance, helping me be…

Imagination

“Imagination never pretends to know it all. It never demands or claims an absolute standpoint, but it always relishes and celebrates the fact that it is on the threshold where it cannot see everything. The kind of knowing that is in imagination is knowing through exploration.” —John O’Donohue, Walking in Wonder As we grow older,…

Happy Feast Day of St. Joseph!

When I grew up in a small rural community, St. Joseph Day was over-shadowed (to say the least) by the March 17 Feast of St. Patrick. All the festivities of the wearin’ o’ the green hung over the quiet invitation to celebrate on March 19 with the calm, reserved presence of Joseph, simple carpenter and…

Wintering with Haiku

You’ve heard haiku talked about as a product of Japan. After 50 years of life related to Japan, I can attest that haiku is definitely important to them and has become very helpful to my life. To me the northern part of Japan is much like our land here in Iowa—much of it devoted to…

Imperfect Together

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” ―Brené Brown A number of years ago, I kept an image journal during a period of personal deepening. It was an effort to break out of my typical word-based journaling, to maybe be less in my head and more in my feelings. I drew an image…