The Giraffe: A Glimpse of the Grace of Beauty
Matthew Fox wrote: “Animals are here in part to grant glimpses of the grace of beauty.” The giraffe is certainly one animal that does that for me. Let’s take a few minutes today to reflect on this extraordinary creature in God’s vast array of animals. (more…)
What Small Thing Do You Treasure?
The Washington Post Magazine runs a regular feature entitled “Mine” which invites its readers to share some small object in their lives that they treasure. Every week the Post runs one reader’s contribution which includes a picture of the object, a brief essay on its signigicance, and the author’s name, age, and occupation. Here are a few samples. (more…)
Is God Love–Really?
Albert Einstein said the most important question we can ask is this: Is the universe friendly? If we asked a random sampling of people whether they think the universe is friendly, neutral, or hostile towards us, we would probably find that some of them believe the universe is hostile or at least neutral. They would point to seemingly random earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, meteorites, and brutal blizzards to illustrate their point. (more…)
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
While in Alabama a few weeks ago, I went to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute with one of the Benedictine Sisters, Sr. Madeline. Notice, the building is not called a museum although it chronicles the Civil Rights struggle through pictures, film, and artifacts. It’s called an institute since it links the struggle for equality in Birmingham to movements for equality throughout the world. I was deeply moved by my time there, and I’d like to share a few thoughts with you. (more…)
Anne Morrow Lindbergh: "Against Wind and Tide"
I just finished reading Against Wind and Tide, the final collection of letters and journals (1947-1986) of Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Many of us know her as the wife of Charles Lindbergh, one of the great pioneers in aviation. But she was also a writer in her own right. Her most famous book, Gift from the Sea, was first published in 1955 and has never been out of print. (more…)
