Those Who Shape Our Lives
Henri Nouwen
November first is All Saints Day: a perfect time to think about Henri Nouwen, Dutch Catholic priest, writer, & theologian. He taught for nearly twenty years at the University of Notre Dame, and at both Yale & Harvard Divinity Schools. Then he was pastor for ten years at L’Arche Daybreak, a community of people with…
Read MorePoet Amanda Gorman
Did you hear that incredible young-adult poet recite her poem at President Biden’s presidential inauguration a few years ago? I was awestruck by her passion and love of country, calling us to band together as a nation and pull ourselves out of a dark place. —October 17 is Black Poetry Day, and you might not…
Read MoreLeslie Weatherhead “Awaiting Further Light”
October 14th was Leslie Weatherhead’s birthday. (He lived from 1893 to 1976). Weatherhead was an English Christian theologian (Methodist), and part of the liberal Protestant tradition in his thinking. He served as pastor of the huge City Temple in London from 1936 to 1960. Many traditional church folks considered him controversial because of his beliefs.…
Read MoreMartin Luther’s 95 Theses
Today is Reformation Day, when the academic cleric Martin Luther put up challenging questions to debate on the Wittenburg university campus. He was still working out his beliefs, but had significant concerns about “indulgences.” At that time (1517) the archbishop in northern Germany and Pope Leo X had authorized selling them in part to pay…
Read MoreJuliette Gordon Low
One woman who has helped shape my life is Juliette Gordon (“Daisy”) Low,the founder of the Girl Scouts. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, she organized the very first Girl Scout troop, after working as a Girl Guide leader in England. Currently, more than 1.7 million women have been through Girl Scouts, along with…
Read MoreMartin Luther
October 31st is Reformation Day! Back in 1517, the German professor, Augustinian monk, and hymn writer, Martin Luther, posted his “95 Theses” on a university door for academic debate. No doubt he expected lively debates, but ended up sparking the global Protestant Reformation. Luther also translated the Bible into German from Latin, so everyday Christians…
Read MoreEvelyn Underhill and the Heart’s Desire
One unofficial saint of mine, whom I hope helps shape my life, is Evelyn Underhill, a prominent Christian mystic. The marker on her grave in London says, “Christian – Scholar – Spiritual Guide.” She taught Anglican clergy about the importance of contemplative prayer, and was the first woman to lecture in theology at the University of…
Read MoreA Birthday Moment with Archbishop Desmond Tutu
October seventh is Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s birthday. He has long been a famous hero of mine, due to his justice work in South Africa that reverberated around the world. But The Book of Forgiving, which he co-wrote with his daughter, Mpho Tutu, showed glimpses of his soul. He said that “nothing is unforgivable” and “there…
Read MoreJohn Muir and “The Range of Light” 1
I’m personally grateful for the life and work of John Muir, who gave most of his life to let people know the value and majesty of the wilderness. He publicized the beauty of the wilderness, to persuade Americans to protect it from commercialization. Muir persuaded U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt to camp overnight in Yosemite with…
Read MoreDietrich Bonhoeffer
The writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (born on Feb. 4th) show the important interaction of faith, politics, and culture. A German-born theologian and activist in the Resistance Church, Bonhoeffer dared to counter National Socialism and the spread of Nazism. An advocate for the Jews and contributor to a group planning Hitler’s overthrow, he was imprisoned in…
Read MorePoetry from Teresa of Avila
Do you enjoy poetry? I just discovered a new book of poems originally by an unofficial saint of mine, called Sweet Hunter: The Complete Poems of St. Teresa of Avila. I know, most people know Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) as the author of the book, The Interior Castle. But she also wrote mystic poems, and…
Read MoreCesar Chavez
These end-of-summer days are yielding an abundant grape harvest, grown especially juicy under the hot sun. But I’ll never look at a cluster of grapes without remembering Cesar Chavez and the many months’ long boycott that many of us had while he was negotiating with farmers for better working conditions. These days, March 31st is…
Read MoreJohn the Baptist a “Saint?”
No doubt John the Baptist didn’t look very “saintly,” the way we usually think of saints or of people with spiritual messages we might want to hear. After all, this John was known for his ascetic lifestyle, living in the wilderness, wearing strange clothes, and eating insects for food. But he’s also known for baptizing…
Read MoreDr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
These are increasingly terrifying times, especially to people considered on the margins or without the political clout to enforce their rights. So here are two important quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that help me keep going forward: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only…
Read MoreTolkien, Those Hobbits, and A Lot More
“God is the Lord of angels, and of [people]—and of elves. Legend and history have met and fused,” wrote J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings fantasy series. Each time I read from them, I see more connections with our modern-day world. – March 25th is National Tolkien Reading…
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