It is vital that we bear up rather than give up in the face of adversity. How do we go about doing it? No doubt, there are many ways to grow in bearing up. Here are three: cultivating a deep sense of secure attachment with God and others; developing strategies for successful adaptation amid challenges like depression and anxiety; and growing in approaching life by way of creative maladjustment. This post reflects briefly upon all three. This subject matter is... Read more
Did you know that you matter more than things, including the images you project? Sometimes it is very difficult to keep this point in mind in a society where all that appears to matter is what the market values. The market values certain images we project and masks we wear. In what follows, I will call for valuing persons over personas, masks, or images. Michael Sandel, Jonathan Sacks, Barbara Johnson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. encourage and exhort us to... Read more
I have been thinking a lot recently about the need to live with open palms rather than clenched fists. There are many reasons for it, which I will reflect on in this Palm Sunday meditation. The aim is to live not only on Palm Sunday but every day with open palms and palms joined rather than clenched fists. One reason why I have been thinking a lot about the need to live with open palms is because we continue to... Read more
The mindset of autonomy, objectivity, and detachment dominates so many aspects of our society. I often see it on display in the medical community and in the marketplace. Philosopher Charles Taylor’s concept of the “bounded” or “buffered” self in his magisterial work, A Secular Age, not only reflects the secular age’s view of humanity in relation to a transcendent or spiritual realm. It also manifests itself in our relation to one another (For a brief reflection on his treatment... Read more
One of the most important endeavors in life is to stimulate a meaningful response in someone for personal growth. But what happens if they are not interested, or do not demonstrate an ability to signal a meaningful response? This post reflects on this subject and highlights the importance of stimulation motivated by compassion and grace. As an educator, I work hard to try and motivate student interest on a topic. Take, for example, the modern philosopher and ethicist, Immanuel Kant.... Read more
This post is about the need for providential thinking. As important as positive thinking can be, all the more important is providential thinking. It makes a keen difference not simply when we take personality tests, but also when we endure tests to our persons in life. Yesterday marked the third year ‘anniversary’ since our family’s lives were turned inside out and upside down. On January 21st, 2021, we received a crisis call from our son Christopher’s wife Keyonna that Christopher... Read more
This post reflects upon my family’s journey with TBI and how it’s important for all of us to be on the lookout for hints and clues in support of holistic health. We need to pay close attention. I was speaking with our family medical consultant and palliative care specialist, Dr. Robert Potter, the other day. Dr. Potter (M.D., Ph.D.) had called to receive an update on my son Christopher’s situation. Christopher endured a traumatic brain injury on January 21, 2021.... Read more
Today marks Epiphany, which means “manifestation.” Epiphany highlights one, two, or three biblical accounts depending on one’s Christian experience and tradition. It features one or more of the following events: the wise men’s visitation, worship, with giving of gifts to the toddler Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12); the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (2:13-17); Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-12). We find in each account that... Read more
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas, “Whoever does not know the austere blessedness of waiting—that is, of hopefully doing without—will never experience the full blessing of fulfillment.” So true. Advent, which ended last night, is all about waiting. Not only does Advent entail waiting for Jesus’ birth, which we celebrate today. It is also about the Second Advent, when Jesus comes again. Such waiting is “austere,” that is, severe and harsh. But... Read more
Yesterday marked the third Sunday of Advent. This is the third of four reflections on Advent in 2023. The first reflection focused on Abraham who waited faithfully for the fulfilment of God’s promise involving the Messianic hope. The second focused on Zechariah and Elizabeth, who waited faithfully for God’s promise to give them a son who would prepare the way for the Messiah who would provide salvation for God’s people. This third reflection features Joseph, Mary’s husband, and the father... Read more
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