I’m eagerly anticipating seeing the new Lincoln film later this week, having been a huge fan of the man for many years. From all I’ve read and heard about the movie, it’s a splendid evocation of Lincoln and his era. A number of years ago I gave a sermon about Lincoln, one that contains some information on an aspect of his life that I think is key to understanding him: his deep melancholy. I’ll blog again after I see the... Read more
Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone! Here’s a musical reminder of what the day is about: Read more
Have you seen the marvelous movie Babette’s Feast? If not, rent it, download it, or borrow it, for there’s no better preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday than this film. Set in the nineteenth century, it tells the seemingly simple story of a French woman refugee who arrives in an isolated Danish village and becomes a housekeeper for two unmarried sisters. After a number of years, the sisters want to plan a dinner to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth... Read more
A number of commentators have found similarities between the unfolding scandal involving David Petraeus and the Biblical story of King David and Bathsheba (this is how religious geeks read the daily news–through a 3,000-year-old set of eyeglasses). The analogy makes some sense in that both were military leaders laid low by sexual indiscretions. But I came across this analysis by Rabbi A. James Rudin that takes the analysis one step further. You can find the entire essay here, but here’s... Read more
Today’s post is my monthly column for the Episcopal News Service: On a recent visit to a museum dedicated to Christian religious arts, I came up with a potential addition to the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not use life-size wax mannequins wearing bad wigs and bed sheets to illustrate scenes from the life of Jesus. I feel a bit bad being cynical about this museum, which was founded with the best of intentions and which I’m sure is meaningful to... Read more
From James Martin’s The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: God . . . is something like an old carpenter in a small village in Vermont. If you ask the townspeople where to turn for carpentry work or repairs, they will say, “There’s only one person to call. He does excellent work. He’s careful, he’s precise, he’s conscientious, he’s creative, he makes sure that everything fits, and he tailors his work exactly to fit your needs. There’s just one problem: he... Read more
Amid the flurry of news about the damage caused by the epic storm Sandy and the drama of the upcoming election, let me offer something completely different, a brief teaching video on the subject of prayer. As I mentioned before, lately I’ve been exploring Ignatian spirituality, a form of devotion pioneered by Ignatius of Loyola in the sixteenth century. One of Ignatius’ signature teachings is the importance of finding God in the midst of the everyday. This short video, done by... Read more
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’ve recently discovered Ignatius of Loyola. He’s been waiting for me for centuries, and I finally got around to making his acquaintance. Ignatius was born in 1491 in Spain and in early adulthood lived the life of an adventurer and soldier. While recovering from a battle wound, he underwent a profound religious conversion that dramatically altered the course of his life. As he grew in his own spirituality, he became particularly adept at... Read more
I wouldn’t be a writer today if it wasn’t for my friend and mentor Rebecca Christian, a Renaissance-woman-extraordinaire who has taught me much about life as well as writing. In her most-recent column in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, she offered this list: On the occasion of a decade-breaking birthday, I offer 60 things I’ve learned the hard way. 1. Few occasions are worthy of shapewear. 2. In this world you must be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant. For... Read more
A most interesting article recently appeared in Newsweek Magazine. Heaven Is Real: A Doctor’s Experience With the Afterlife is written by Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon at Harvard Medical School. In it he describes the extraordinary vision of the afterlife that he experienced while in a seven-day coma caused by meningitis: Although I considered myself a faithful Christian, I was so more in name than in actual belief… I sympathized deeply with those who wanted to believe that there was... Read more
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