I’m not sure where the term first settled into my consciousness as something wrong, but perhaps it was early on in my ministry when I’d meet with young couples preparing to marry. Rather than use more or less traditional “’till death do us part” language to express their level of commitment, they’d a little too frequently ask for euphemisms such as “for as long as love lasts” or, and this is what I’m thinking about, a promise to give the... Read more

I see that Robertson Davies was born on this day in 1913. He is one of my favorite writers, near as I can tell I’ve read every one of his novels. Sometimes called a “gnostic,” he took what I consider some of the more interesting aspects of Jungian approaches and wove them into his fiction. Although I have to admit the retelling in this video of his great novel the Fifth Business makes it appear there was quite the soap... Read more

The Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer, best known as the Ba’al Shem Tov, the great Jewish mystic and founder of the Hasidic movement was born on this day in 1698… Read more

Edward Kennedy died last night. I can think of no figure thrust into the public light so inappropriately, who started out so badly, to have such trouble controlling his personal appetites and predilections for so many years, to at the same time grow and grow to such depth and wisdom and to become so important to our nation. I know how badly I’ll miss him and his energy and his commitment to the good fight… Rest in peace, Teddy. You... Read more

Way back a million years ago I was interviewing for what would become my first settlement as a UU parish minister. It had been a long day of interviewing and related, we’d had dinner and this was kind of the sweep up, mostly visiting but with some important questions. One member looked at me and asked, “James, what do you think of football?” I wasn’t exactly sure where this one was going. It was Wisconsin. And I knew this was... Read more

I see that Simone Weil died today in 1943. In the Christian calendar a saint is recalled on the day of their death as it is supposed to signify their new birth into the heavenly life. As that is not consonant with my spiritual philosophy I prefer for the most part to note birthdays. However, Weil considered herself part of the Christian camp, even though it is generally believed she was never baptised, and so a day like today seems... Read more

Sacco and Vanzetti died today in 1927… Read more

There are magical things about cities. Everything is found in the city… Nightmares… Dirty. Crowded. Violent places. And, as well, at the very same time, the gathering of dreams… Of Hope. Of Possibility. Here I find Rocky Dawuni singing that dream for us… Dreaming of the city, of The City, of Peace… In the midst of the whirlwind… Read more

One of those little treats of our new web based world is Panhala, who sends me a poem every day…. Today I received something from the Buddhist poet Jane Hirschfield’s Lives of the Heart. “Almost the twenty-first century” — how quickly the thought will grow dated, even quaint. Our hopes, our future, will pass like the hopes and futures of others. And all our anxieties and terrors, nights of sleeplessness, griefs, will appear then as they truly are — Stumbling,... Read more

Just ’cause… Read more