I had been walking across Italy for three weeks. On that particular Wednesday, it was damp and grey and the every half mile seemed to take fourteen years. I was exhausted and protein deficient, ready … [Read more...] about The Spiritual Practice of Noticing Absolutely Everything
Nooks and Crannies
The Gospel of Beloved Smallness
"You want my tried and true maxim on preaching?" Professor Smith said, beginning to draw a diagram on the whiteboard. "You want my one rule about preaching? "Say one true thing about God, then … [Read more...] about The Gospel of Beloved Smallness
The Gospel of Being Human
It's the very end of the night, and me and three regulars are closing down the tavern. The stools are up, the dining room lights are down, and the bar smells like cleaning solution and stale beer. My … [Read more...] about The Gospel of Being Human
Hope for the Hopeless Activist
I helped tutor refugee kids in Clarkston for awhile, one of the largest refugee communities and "the most diverse square mile in America." Upstairs in a run-down leasing office is a room filled … [Read more...] about Hope for the Hopeless Activist
St. Francis and Lucky Strikes
I keep trying to fill the restlessness in my soul with more restlessness, and being surprised when it doesn't work. I keep trying to buy my way out of anxiety, or consume my way into joy, or run my … [Read more...] about St. Francis and Lucky Strikes
Fear, Fundamentalism, and Welcome
"I am going to prove that there's a soul for my senior philosophy thesis!" I was sitting on the arm of the chair in my philosophy professor's office. The chair was low and squishy, so after the … [Read more...] about Fear, Fundamentalism, and Welcome
That Time Between Christmas and New Years
I've dumped all my junk on the spiritual desk. I vowed to keep this desk clean and spacious, set aside and sacred, so that I can escape there to clear my head and find silence. Today, I've emptied my … [Read more...] about That Time Between Christmas and New Years
Attentive
I walked my way through 2016. I walked to the bar, cutting through back alleys and across unmaintained parking lots at abandoned car dealerships. I walked back and forth from my office to the … [Read more...] about Attentive
