Being Human
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Wanting all the things
I had a cold last week which put a damper on many of my normal activities. Luckily I wasn’t so sick that I had to go to bed, I just avoided too much physical activity and going out in public. So no running, no church, no Alpha which started last weekend, no race, no volunteering for the race, no gym, no grocery shopping, no going to look at awnings (Hiubby’s latest house project). This meant the house was cleaner, the books were read, and I got to write and think and match puzzle pieces more. Now I’m better, I’m moving back into a more normal routine, but I’m going to…
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To save the time or not?
I generally have a few books on the go at one time that include at least one (loosely) theological book (morning reading), one other non-fiction book (afternoon reading) and one fiction book (evening reading). Apart from having the right kind of reading for every time of day this also allows the books to more easily “talk to each other.“ I’m currently reading “Wandering with Intent” by Kim Mahood. She has spent many years working in remote Aboriginal communities and recounts how after spending an afternoon searching and digging for yams a visitor asked why they didn’t cultivate the plants near the community. Her answer was “Because that would take all…
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Settling Well
A few years ago, I finally completed my M. Div. It’s 18 units, and I did one each semester, so nine years of studying, which I loved. My degree culminated in a year-long thesis on Revelation and how it might shape our response to the massive ecological damage humans inflict on the planet. Suppose you have heard anything about the book of Revelation. In that case, you probably know it goes to some pretty weird places, and it felt particularly appropriate (worrying?) to be spending so much time there once the pandemic hit nine months into my thesis. It was a year of sitting with Revelation, reading the text, looking…
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Embodied Practices
I think this would be a shame because one of the things I value about writing, is the act of writing itself. It is an embodied process that connects me to my own humanity, by putting me in touch with my mind, the same way a vigorous hike through the woods can put me in touch with my body. John Warner, “ChatGPT Can’t Kill Anything Worth Preserving“, The BiblioOracle Recommends Sums up in a few words why I make it a priority to include writing and running in my life. As someone who loves to juxtapose different ideas, argue a case with myself and ruminate on what’s been happening, writing helps me tame…