I’ve been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and his works for most of my life. Looking back, I think my initial interest came from Rankin/Bass and their versions of The Hobbit and The Return of the King, though I remember seeing Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings with my family. We also owned a lp of The Hobbit, which I listened to when I was young. All of these influenced my initial take on Middle Earth, so that when... Read more
In the Byzantine tradition, the first of September begins the new ecclesiastical year, echoing the belief that Christ begun his mission to the world (by entering the synagogue and preaching) on September 1. It is also the day which tradition suggested the world was created. The Byzantine use of September 1 for their new ecclesiastical year is symbolic, pointing to the beginning of creation, but also the beginning of Christ’s public ministry, tying them together to the Byzantine spiritual life.... Read more
St. Moses the Ethiopian early on learned that no one was completely outside of God’s love and providence; that is, he found out that anyone, and so, everyone, could be saved. But he also understood the kind of transformation people needed for their salvation could be and would be difficult, perhaps taking all of one’s temporal life, if not beyond – but no matter how difficult it is, such transformation is possible, and we should do what we can to... Read more
Ecumenism, the intra-Christian work for rapprochement, especially through dialogue, is a necessary part of the Christian faith. Christ prayed that Christians could and would be one. That unity is to be had out of love, not from force or compulsion. Ecumenism embraces that prayer by having Christians do what they can to have it realized. Sadly, it is not something Christians have understood for many centuries, indeed, for most of Christian history. For Christians quickly found themselves becoming divided against... Read more
In the eucharist, Christ presents himself fully to his followers so that they can partake of him in such a way he becomes a part of them and they become a part of him. As they become a part of him, they also become a part of each other, as they find themselves to be one with each other through their unity with Christ. The liturgy is meant, in part, to help them realize their unity, to realize, that is,... Read more
Paul, talking about his apostolic authority, indicated two important things. The first is that those who are given such authority are given it by God. The second is that such authority is not to be used selfishly, for personal gain, but rather, is given so that those who have it have what they need to work for the benefit of others instead of lording it over them: But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has... Read more
One of the great truths agreed upon by many religious traditions is that the world we perceive and experience is influenced by our own minds even as our minds are influenced by our actions. That is, our normal experience of the world is not the world as it is, but the world as it is veiled by our minds, indeed, our experience is usually based upon what we make of it due to our minds and the way they engage... Read more
One of many things I’ve learned through the years is that I need to silence myself and listen to others and what they have to say. That is, I need to truly listen to them, to treat them as a dignified person, not an object, to truly care about them and who they are instead of what I think they should be like. I have had to learn that when they have problems, when they have issues they want me... Read more
Jesus spoke out against the abuses of the rich and powerful while defending and promoting the poor and the outcast. In Luke, this is rather clear, as we see him giving blessings to the poor, while giving warnings (or curses) to the rich (cf. Lk. 6:20-26). His mission was to save the world, but that meant more than just preserving it as he found it, it meant he had to transform and reshape the world, righting the wrongs which those... Read more
Paul reminds us as Christians that all our actions should be geared towards love. “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 16:13-14 RSV). At times, this can be a difficult challenge for us; when times are difficult, when it seems everything we do is just making things worse, we must put our trust in God, believing that even if things do not improve in the... Read more
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