On the surface, this week’s lectionary reading at the end of John (John 20:19-31) is a story about doubt and trust, and a recounting of an appearance by Jesus before his disciples post-entombment. But I can’t read it without drawing in biblical studies. Because one of the key aspects of this passage is the statement “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John was the last of the gospels, written many decades after Jesus’ life. The... Read more
So many words could describe the current administration’s actions. Among the most salient might be retributive, erratic, careless, unconstitutional. But when it comes to the immigration actions being implemented, cruelty seems to be the point. We have the disappearance of 45 immigrants in New Mexico who are unaccounted for; the removal of hundreds of migrants to a torturous prison in El Salvador—75% of whom have no criminal record beyond their immigration offense; the whisking away of legal-immigrant students by masked... Read more
Recently, a friend offered me a book she’d found at Goodwill. It is my memoir, published in 2011; it is the copy I signed and gave to my best friend Brother Martin Gonzalez, who figured prominently in the book. Martin died in 2021. Apparently, the abbey where he’d been a monk for sixty years had taken his books and other personal effects to Goodwill. By some grace, my friend discovered Martin’s copy of my book. Discovering My Spiritual Home In... Read more
Autocracy. noun. 1. Government by a single person having unlimited power; despotism. When I visit my friend Dania (not her real name), deep connection is in store. We sit in her kitchen, to an exquisitely prepared meal of homemade soup, salad, and bread with butter, and tea. We join hands for silence, then commence a discussion that ranges from intensely personal to spiritual/philosophical/universal. I have called Dania, who is decades older than me, my “elder.” But she feels as much... Read more
Have you experienced a loss or misfortune and someone suggested it happened to you because of God’s punishment? Have you looked at your foes and wished tragedy on them—as a punishment from God? Or have you looked at accidents and tragedies in their lives and simply assumed they were to blame. Most of us can say yes to these questions. Even as I type this, the names of specific foes in my own life come to mind. People who harmed... Read more
This week I found my essay written in November 2016, just days after the first Trump election. On re-reading it, I was surprised at how timely it feels and how presentiments from that time are tragically actualizing day by day. Also this week I heard a prominent writer reflecting on that period, on how people called her a ‘Cassandra’ in 2016, saying she was overreacting to things the candidate was saying. “I so wish I had been wrong,” this author... Read more
Lately I’m reading the political scientist Francis Fukuyama after hearing him speak on struggle. Specifically, on how struggle gives us meaning, and how humans need something to struggle toward. In the absence of struggle and challenge, something rushes into the void. As a writer and reader of fiction, I recognize the given: Every story requires conflict. My husband, a longtime literature professor, declares it definitively: “There is no story without conflict!” I would say this includes our own stories. This... Read more
Where Christianity gets especially real, where our faith is put to the test, is right here: where Jesus says, “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27-38). Major world religions hold in common a ‘golden rule’ stating essentially: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself’—a command to love others that is almost universal. But Jesus goes a painful step further, telling us to love our enemies. It is hard hard business. Because it is so... Read more
Last Wednesday, I woke to discover a protest was taking place at noon in the capital of my state, as it was in the capital of every state. A decentralized grassroots movement had come together to hit-the-streets and decry the authoritarian actions of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. I don’t usually make last minute decisions, but decided I had to put my feet where my words are and rapidly adjust my plans. My husband and daughter agreed to join me; a... Read more
Recently I left for the store and forgot my phone. When, a few blocks from home, I realized my phone-free status, I felt instant discomfort, wondering: What if my car breaks down? Then I smiled because—good grief—for most of my life, I always left home without a phone! Not only was I generally okay, but when something went wrong and I needed help, delightful things often transpired. Such as the time I was halfway between northern Oregon and northern California... Read more
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