Don We must also be careful to avoid ingesting toxins in the form of violent TV programs, video games, movies, magazines, and books. When we watch that kind of violence, we water our own negative seeds, or tendencies, and eventually we will think and act out of those seeds.— Thich Nhat Hanh in Living Buddha, Living … Read more
Thank you to Paula for sharing this great link. More Light: Carmelite PODCAST
One of my favorite recording artists of all time is/was Marvin Gaye. His tragic death in 1984 at the hands of his own father was very troubling. Marvin was frequently billed as a ladies man by Motown Records and I’m sure he was. Marvin also had a deeply spiritual and religious side which began to … Read more
What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separate us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.–Thomas Merton I can really identify with what Merton writes of … Read more
Yesterday the United States Air Force, a force without peer in the world killed a terrorist leader named Zarqawi in Iraq. Originally we invaded Iraq because there were weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein might be able to hit New York City in 45 minutes with one of those weapons. That’s what we were … Read more
I really like this post because it was written by a soldier, in fact a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. I have a link to the Quaker’s Colonel on this blog because I’m a supporter of the Friends Committee on National Legislation and Col. Dan Smith has good … Read more
Today’s Gospel from St. Mark is one of my favorites. In it a scribe asks Jesus what is the first of all the commandments. Jesus responds, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, … Read more
The recently alleged and reported massacre in Haditha, Iraq has sent the Pentagon scampering to provide “Core Values” training for the United States Military in Iraq. I received Mark Fiore’s most recent flash animation in today’s inbox. “Core Values Training is worth sharing because it highlights the tremendous strain and moral conflicts our troops are … Read more
Thanks to Paula at More Light for the link to Taize music. Taizé, in the south of Burgundy, France, is the home of an international, ecumenical community, founded there in 1940 by Brother Roger. The brothers are committed for their whole life to material and spiritual sharing, to celibacy, and to a great simplicity of … Read more
Some of our politicians have chosen to debate gay marriage and flag burning amendments to the United States Constitution this week. We have two wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thousands of dead and wounded in those conflicts. We have 40 million Americans without health care. We have rampant corruption in Washington and no … Read more
