Tag Archives: Suffering
Seeing Ourselves as God Sees Us
Spirituality and Addiction Seeing Ourselves as God Sees Us Thursday, November 18, 2021 In this conversation, CAC teacher and therapist James Finley shares his belief that we can only be freed from our addictions by healing our original wound—a loss of connection with divine love. Jim speaks here about the healing nature of seeing ourselves… Continue Reading Seeing Ourselves as God Sees Us
Accepting What Is
Christianity and Buddhism Accepting What Is Wednesday, November 10, 2021 Father Richard has often said that transformation mostly comes through great love and great suffering. The First Noble Truth of Buddhism shows how accepting the inescapable nature of suffering can lead to greater freedom. Kaira Jewel Lingo, a former Buddhist nun in Thich Nhat Hanh’s… Continue Reading Accepting What Is
A Path of Awakening
Christianity and Buddhism A Path of Awakening Tuesday, November 9, 2021 Unlike Jesus, who was born into a lower class, Siddhartha Gautama (who became the Buddha) renounced his high caste in the process of his transformation. Both teachers understood that our true inner nobility has nothing to do with external circumstances. Buddhist teachers Pamela Ayo… Continue Reading A Path of Awakening
Our True Nature
Christianity and Buddhism Our True Nature Monday, November 8, 2021 Father Richard has long said, “We’ve got to get the ‘who’ right.” [1] For Christians, our identity lies in the fact that we are loved by God from the beginning and “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Discovering who we are is an important… Continue Reading Our True Nature
Cultivating Compassion
Compassion Cultivating Compassion Friday, October 1, 2021 Sadly, but understandably, the virtue of compassion is more closely associated with Buddhism than Christianity in some people’s minds. If we want to change that, we might learn from Buddhist teachers like Tara Brach who offer us a broad definition of compassion that we can build upon. She… Continue Reading Cultivating Compassion
Everybody Grieves: Weekly Summary
Everybody Grieves Saturday, August 7, 2021 Week Thirty-One Summary and Practice Sunday, August 1—Friday, August 6, 2021 Sunday Because we’re human, we hurt. Because we’re human, we have tears to cry. Because we’re human, our hearts are broken. Because we’re human, we understand that loss is a universal language. Everybody grieves. —Rev. Jacqui Lewis Monday… Continue Reading Everybody Grieves: Weekly Summary
Vulnerability: A Divine Condition
Everybody Grieves Vulnerability: A Divine Condition Sunday, August 1, 2021 We live in a finite world where everything is dying, shedding its strength. This is hard to accept, and all our lives we look for exceptions to it. We look for something certain, strong, undying, and infinite. Religion tells us that the “something” for which… Continue Reading Vulnerability: A Divine Condition
Job: Hoping Against Hope
Great Themes of Scripture: Hebrew Bible Job: Hoping Against Hope Thursday, July 1, 2021 The author of the biblical book of Job wrestled with the mystery of evil. If we look at this book as a drama or play, we can easily see Job as the protagonist, God as the hero, and Satan as the… Continue Reading Job: Hoping Against Hope
Living the Shadow
Shadow Work Living the Shadow Tuesday, June 15, 2021 All God appears to want from us is honesty and humility. There is no other way to read Jesus’ stories of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32) or the tax collector and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9–14). In each story, the one who did wrong ends up being… Continue Reading Living the Shadow
How Do We “Save” the World?
Choosing Love in a Time of Evil How Do We “Save” the World? Sunday, May 16, 2021 The Divine Mind transforms all human suffering by identifying completely with the human predicament and standing in full solidarity with it from beginning to end. This is the real meaning of the crucifixion. The cross is not just… Continue Reading How Do We “Save” the World?