Tag Archives: critique
Embracing Enoughness
Simplicity Embracing Enoughness Tuesday, June 30, 2020 I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. —Lao Tzu Most of us have grown up with a capitalist worldview which makes a virtue and goal out of accumulation, consumption, and collecting. It has taught us to assume, quite falsely, that more is better. But it’s… Continue Reading Embracing Enoughness
Emancipation
Inner and Outer Freedom Emancipation Wednesday, June 17, 2020 For the kinds of freedom and liberation that are needed today, I am going to use the word “emancipation.” Instead of focusing on the mere personal freedoms enjoyed by individual people, emancipation directs our attention to a systemic level of freedom. With the exception of those… Continue Reading Emancipation
The Unspoken Privilege of Being White
Contemplation and Racism The Unspoken Privilege of Being White Monday, June 8, 2020 For a long time, I naively hoped that racism was a thing of the past. Those of us who are white have a very hard time seeing that we constantly receive special treatment [because of social systems built to prioritize people with… Continue Reading The Unspoken Privilege of Being White
Invitation to Solidarity
Solidarity Invitation to Solidarity Sunday, May 24, 2020 Throughout human history, countless people have been poor, vulnerable, or oppressed in some way. Those holding positions of authority within systems of power secure their own privilege, comfort, and wealth—almost always at the expense of those most on the margins. Much of history has been recorded to… Continue Reading Invitation to Solidarity
Pope Francis and St. Francis of Assisi
Franciscan Ecological Wisdom Pope Francis and St. Francis of Assisi Monday, May 18, 2020 I deeply appreciate the many ways Pope Francis has continued the work of Vatican II by letting in the “fresh air” of modern science and other disciplines. While new information is one of the primary ways we come to understand Reality… Continue Reading Pope Francis and St. Francis of Assisi
Speaking Out
Disciples, Prophets, and Mystics Speaking Out Monday, March 16 Prophets must first be true disciples of their faith. In fact, it is their deep love for their tradition that allows them to criticize it at the same time. This is almost always the hallmark of a prophet. Their deepest motivation is not negative but profoundly… Continue Reading Speaking Out
Mysticism and Eco-Spirituality
Alternative Orthodoxy Mysticism and Eco-Spirituality Friday, February 7, 2020 When the bow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature—every mortal being that is on the earth. —Genesis 9:16 Franciscan alternative orthodoxy emphasized mysticism over morality. Moralism is the task of low-level religion, concerned with creating an… Continue Reading Mysticism and Eco-Spirituality
Radical Solidarity
Action and Contemplation: Part Two Radical Solidarity Wednesday, January 15, 2020 A contemplative lens is the only frame through which we can recognize and address the three sources of evil: the world, the flesh, and the devil. When we remain in egoic consciousness, evil (especially in its first hidden forms that look so much like… Continue Reading Radical Solidarity
