I've started a project of reading the Bible in one year, using an app that divides it into three daily readings from the Psalms and Proverbs, New Testament, and Old Testament, with commentary. I don't always agree with the evangelical bent of the commentator, but mostly the themes and resonances that he points out are … Continue reading Wrestling with fear
In a video course about mindfulness meditation that I've been watching, there is a segment that discusses the importance of compassion, even and especially toward those for whom we feel antipathy, aversion, and even enmity. The simple practice is suggested of saying to oneself, when inconvenienced or annoyed by someone: "Just like me." That lady … Continue reading Just like me
What is it really that we should write in our hearts — the feeling that we may have on this Christmas night? In this Christmas night there should pour into our hearts the fundamental human feeling of love, the fundamental feeling that says: compared with all other forces and powers and treasures of the world, … Continue reading The greatest power
Last month, I spent some time hiking with my family in the mountains near Thun. This is the "Bernese Oberland" region, gateway to the Alps. We took a funicular up to the Niederhorn (Switzerland is full of such conveniences) and hiked along a ridge for a few hours. The views were magnificent; we could see … Continue reading Peak experience
Life in Switzerland does require some adjustments. For example, there are things one routinely finds in the grocery store here that one does not in the States, some more welcome than others: Quince Venison Quark Chestnut paste 8 zillion kinds of chocolate bars And there are the things one doesn't find, and that I miss: … Continue reading Other tongues
Recently I was hit by a blast of anger from an unexpected direction, from a person I thought I was on good working terms with. She was upset about something I had done, which I was willing to hear and take responsibility for as necessary, but I was stunned by the virulence of her reaction, … Continue reading As we forgive
Preparing for an international move is quite a process. For much of my life before I got married I was a student, and moved to a different temporary residence every few years. I was used to living out of a suitcase and discarding or storing whatever didn't fit into a single room. But since setting … Continue reading Letting go
Words have always been magic for me. From the time I learned to read (well before my first conscious memory), they have held the key to my understanding of the world around me and of my own inner experiences. The realms of enchantment and wonder spoken of through fairy tales, myths, poetry, and works of … Continue reading Beyond words
When I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I found the author's assertion that cleaning up your stuff could have life-altering effects quaint and quirky. I wasn't a total skeptic -- I believe in the relationship between our outer and inner lives, and I could see how synchronicity could cause mild changes to occur … Continue reading How tidying up changed my life
We put a high value on being smart in our society. Intelligence, defined in a "get-ahead, beat-the-others" kind of way, is rewarded in school and required in order to get a high-income, high-status job. The thing is, this kind of intelligence is not very smart at all. It's pushed us to the brink of the … Continue reading The way of the wise fool
