Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. – Zen proverb Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up a stone, and you will find me there. – Jesus, saying 77b, from the Gospel of Thomas Last month, I announced I was going to take […]
What Does Healing Mean?
“Healer” is one of those words I use with mixed feelings. It gets used quite a lot, often too easily. Healing is a grave and mysterious thing, and I resist making broad claims about being a “healer.” Having said that, we’ve all experienced healing. It’s a real thing, from broken bones to broken hearts. It’s […]
Sabbath & Desert Wisdom
I am taking a long-ish break. I am spending three weeks in the red rock deserts of Southern Utah the last three weeks of May. Like many of us, the last year has been a strange rollercoaster for me. We’ve all been adapting to the reality of the pandemic, adjusting our normal routines and plans […]
What is the Right Way to Deal with Trauma?
Our society, and we as individuals, are suffering from a lot of repressed trauma. We see it all over the place – the way we hurt each other out of old unresolved injuries (“hurt people hurt people”) and the way nations can suddenly burst into violence due to histories that have yet to be reckoned […]
Loyalty & Disloyalty
“Loyalty” is not a very popular American word, probably for good reason. For many, it conjures up images of “blind loyalty,” and the kind of over-faithful following that leads people to do terrible things. And, for many we see the value in challenging authority, bucking norms, and making what Rep. John Lewis called “Good trouble.” […]
The Temptations of Innocence; or Facing What Is…
This week, enjoy reading this reflection by Suzi Tucker, faculty member of the West Coast Constellations Intensive, which starts this Saturday. When things fall apart, they can always fall apart a little more. We are learning this. We make a mistake in talking about the “new normal,” our sweet wishful thinking trying to trick us into complacency. […]
Reflections on this week in America…
Last week in Washington, DC, we saw – again – how our structures are falling apart, with so much suffering for so many. We might ask – When will this be over? It’s an understandable question, but it may not be the question we need right now. Things will continue to fall apart. Why? Because our shared structures […]