Welcome to Thin Places

Although I have been writing this blog for a few years now, today it has found a new home. In light of the recent move from beliefnet to patheos, I wanted to (re) introduce this blog. As I wrote in my initial post two years ago: “This blog is intended to be about discovering and remembering thin places, places where heaven and earth touch, where God seems more readily present, more easily accessed. It is meant to uncover ideas, relationships, points of connection, and moments of deep beauty that draw us towards one another and towards the Holy One.”

On a more practical level, this blog is about “faith, family, and disability.” Every week I post reflections that cover these three topics.

Faith: You’ll find at least one post that is explicitly Christian (although all of my writing comes from a Christian perspective). I try to offer series that reflect upon a Biblical idea (Questions for Jesus last fall or right now, Lenten Reflections) in addition to other more random musings about the Christian faith.

Family: You’ll always find at least one story about our family (check back in tomorrow for this week’s update), which now consists of Peter and me as parents with Penny (5), William (2 ½) and Marilee (2 months).

Disability: You’ll also find something each week about disability. Sometimes it’s an anecdote about our daughter Penny, who has Down syndrome. Other times it’s a broader commentary or theological reflection on disability within our culture. And every week I feature a guest post called Perfectly Human. Perfectly Human posts are written by someone with a disability or someone in relationship with an individual with a disability. They tell stories that demonstrate our common humanity.

Finally, perhaps the “tagline” for my blog should read “Faith, Family, Disability, and Reading,” because I also offer a more or less weekly reflection on a book I’m reading and various articles I encounter that pertain to the other topics of note on this blog.

I have some thoughts for expansion in the future. I’d like to start a “question of the month” series, for instance, in which I’d invite individuals from a variety of faith traditions to answer perennial human questions about meaning and purpose in this life, what happens after we die, the existence and nature of God, and so forth. I’ve thought about a “Perfectly Human Too” series with posts from individuals who find themselves marginalized from mainstream American life—those who are imprisoned, homeless, or widowed, for instance— and yet again demonstrate their common humanity. And I’d like to feature more guest posts on topics of interest to my readers.

When you stop by “Thin Places,” I hope it will provide a respite from either the mundane or frantic aspects of your day. A few minutes of holy time to connect with God, with ideas, with other human beings who are seeking after truth and love. To that end, please leave your comments when you agree or disagree with something I’ve written, or when you have a thought or a question or suggestion. I hope it will feel a bit like sitting down with a cool glass of water on a hot day on a windswept porch overlooking the ocean.

Check back in later today to read more about why I have chosen to move to Patheos.

To end this introduction—why not introduce yourselves to me and one another? Where (or what, who, when) are your thin places?