What is sacred is what is worthy of our reverence, what evokes awe and wonder in the human heart, and what, when contemplated, transforms us utterly. -Phil Cousineau Late in her life, American poet and writer May Sarton was questioned about what she wanted to be when she “grew up.” She replied: to be human. I like [...]
There are moments in our lives that can change everything. For Chris Orwig, it happened in a tent, at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California. A bachelor party; and he was camping with a group of friends. When first invited, Chris said no. He relented when told that the first [...]
The splitting of the Red Sea, according to Jewish tradition, is the greatest miracle ever performed. It is so extraordinary that on that day even a common servant beheld more than all the miracles witnessed by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel combined. And yet we have one midrash that mentions two Israelites, Reuven and [...]
It is coffee hour on a summer Sunday–that time after church service when we sip coffee (or if we’re brave, some unidentifiable fruit juice) and chat about the weather, the week’s news, or if it’s memorable, the sermon. Whatever we’re talking about, there are times when we’re aware of a self-conscious nudge to keep up [...]
“We should do this more often.” A middle-aged man is speaking to a woman standing at his side. (Well, shall we say north of middle-age?) I am doing what I do best: Eavesdropping. The couple is leaning on the upper deck railing of a Washington State Ferry on a summer day. We are headed across [...]
During a noon-hour rush on a steamy July day, two men were jockeying their way through the crowd on a New York City avenue. They practically shouted as they tried to hear one other above the din. One man, a native New Yorker, the other, a Native American from Oklahoma. The Native American stopped suddenly [...]
Lady Elaine Fairchilde is the mischief maker in Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Lady Elaine is not a pretty puppet. To be fair, well. . .let us just say she is particularly beauty-challenged. In one episode, Lady Elaine was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said without hesitation, ‘I want to be [...]
