It is said that the Inca people and their Spanish conquerors could not understand one another at all. It wasn’t a question of language but of values. The Inca culture…
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? “Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” But how many of us really do that? Years ago, I suggested in an…
Elijah has come to an impasse. Imagine being holed up in a cave with men who intend to take your life in hot pursuit. His fidelity to Yahweh has resulted…
When Jesus is asked for the number one commandment, he gives two. The first—love God with everything you’ve got—is nothing new. Jesus quotes an ancient text, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O…
When God makes promises in Scripture, usually they don’t come with a tight timeline. Sure, the angelic visitors give an “estimated time of arrival” when they tell Abraham that his…
I spend a lot of time explaining the virtues of patience to my seven-year-old, but today’s reading from James might as well have been a mirror. Often when I’m stressed,…
God wants our friendship. Such was the refrain of Jesuit mentor and acclaimed spiritual writer William Barry, S.J. Over the centuries, we have placed so much baggage on our understanding…
My heart is alone and confused. Jesus has gone away. No, he hasn’t. He is closer than before, more real than before. He had to leave the superficial area of…
Who is in and who is out? This question haunts so much of our world today. It can be framed as the classic “us-versus-them” dynamic or constructed in such a…
Jesus knows, as he’s commissioning his disciples to preach the Good News, that it’s not going to be easy, or safe.
