Understanding the Ways of God
How great and tender is a mother’s love? How many lessons do we learn from them? A Mothers Love A young girl once came to her mother for advice. The daughter had graduated from school with honors, and moved to the city to pursue a career. But she encounter nothingContinue Reading
Pain, Suffering, and Beauty
“Beauty is created in a profound way though adversity, pain and suffering.” The Pilot Robert Louis Stevenson once told a story about a storm tossed boat. It was night and the waves brought the boat dangerously close to a rocky shore. The wind threatened to drive the boat to destructionContinue Reading
Albert Schweitzer, Guilds, And Bearing Each Other’s Burdens
“As members of God’s family we need each other and support each other. We are here to bear each other’s burdens.” The Most Famous Missionary You will most likely recognize the name Albert Schweitzer, but do you know why you recognize the name? Schweitzer was one of the most famousContinue Reading
Tolerance And The Artist As Activist
“A better approach to using art for social justice is to start with a love of neighbor that is born out of a love for God.” The Tyranny of Tolerance In 1967 Dr. Thomas Harris, MD., published a book titled “I’m OK, You’re OK.” The title became a rallying cryContinue Reading
The Trapper, The Old Man, and Judgement
“It is very tempting for us to pass judgment based on partial information.” The Trapper There was once a trapper who lived in the Alaskan wilderness alone with his two year old son. On one occasion their food supply was running low and the trapper was forced to leave theContinue Reading
Icons, Parables, and the Word
“God’s Word is written on our hearts and we express that Truth in countless ways.” The Invisible Iconographer In traditional Orthodox iconography the goal of the iconographer is to be invisible. Individual expression or style is not sought after because it is considered a distraction to prayer and devotion. ThisContinue Reading
Letting Go Of “Things”
“Letting go of those things in order to find that person can be a difficult trial.” Are we afraid to answer God’s call because we are afraid of what we may have to give up? Charlemagne’s Justice There are many stories told of Charlemagne, king of the Franks and Lombards,Continue Reading
The Adventure of New Life
“The adventure of new life in Christ begins when the comfortable patterns of the old life are left behind.” -David Roher Have you ever thought of yourself as a prophet? We tend to think of a prophet as someone who foretells the future. But in the ancient world a prophetContinue Reading
The Cave You Fear To Enter
“the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” “What have you done?” There was once a cheerful old man who would ask the same question of just about everyone he fell into conversation with: What have you done that you believe in and you are proud of?Continue Reading
When Is An Artist Like A Priest?
“the artist can, after a fashion, function as a priest, by making the invisible visible” The Pope’s Unexpected Visit What exactly do we mean when we refer to the “True Presence?” In October of 1995, Pope John Paul II was scheduled to greet seminarians at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.Continue Reading