My partner for the ‘afternoon of outreach’ was Daniel, a high school student from Brooklyn. It was a first for him, this ‘going out and talking to perfect strangers.’ He was nervous, visibly. Later, he confided that for the past couple of years atheists, who challenged his every belief, had bullied him. The weekend retreat…
Tag: faith
Mr Greengrass
During my growing up years, I called him Mr. Greengrass; wrinkles, wispy white hair, deep crow’s claws around penetrating eyes. He was the old man who came by often, and smelled like mothballs. Ironically, Leighton Greengrass lived up to his name, not a single blade of grass out of place in his manicured yard. One…
When God Breaks In…
He was a doctor of internal medicine, and his words were a jaded iceberg, admittedly desensitized by the dying he sees every day. “There are no miracles for someone in stage four cancer… at least I’ve never seen one,” he said. “My mom passed away about eight years ago. She was only 55, and at…
A Beggar, and the beauty of Advent
I was standing in line for coffee, when to my left appeared a homeless man. His stench overwhelmed a normally aromatic space. People fidgeted, and he went straight to the counter, leaned in and spoke with the manager. I overheard him ask for a cup of coffee. The manager shook her head, and the beggar…
The Flutter
Something had brushed her cheek. The flutter of a wing, though infinitesimal, had stopped her, a subtle movement through invisible lines. Without knowing it, an angel had crouched next to her, but had misjudged the expanse of his wings. He noticed when the little girl suddenly touched her skin there. The angel froze, and she…
A Young Scientist Meets an Old Saint
I met him on a recent flight, and our light banter soon turned more serious. “Having a more rationale mind, how do you see faith in God playing a part?” I asked. “Not at all,” he confided. “If I can’t prove it, I don’t believe it.” Sebastian is a recent high school graduate, and one…
Raymond’s Race
I first met him in a crowded high school hallway. He was down on hands and knees trying to pick up his books, while a group of students were kicking them down the hall poking fun at him. Sadly, he was laughing right along with them. When he got back up, I noticed his right…
The Room With No Windows
The room had no windows. Easier to keep little eyes focused. When the door closed, a smiling face greeted me. Inside, I felt the weight of pending failure. I could not hide my frown. For as long as I remember, I have found it hard to bring words out of my mind into the open….
How the Mundane Works to Our Favor
It was a mundane run for groceries. Just a few essentials; Pasta, bananas, raspberry dark chocolate bar… The clerk seemed efficient, quiet and attentive. “How are you? she asked, grabbing the candy bar to scan. “Good.” I rifled through my wallet to find my card. Then I remembered, ‘practice the presence of people.’ I had…
PaPa Had the Best Laugh!
PaPa had the best laugh. Strong. Chesty. A roar of joy, which widened eyes, and turned heads. Filled a room. As family lore goes, PaPa had suffered a terrible loss, but never talked about it. He was fond of saying, however, ‘one laughs well, who has wept long.’ This is a story of laughter. PaPa’s farm…
Seven Runners…a true story
I want to invite your imagination to picture how God can unify the body of Christ to be the face of God. Seven runners lace up, and stretch out under a morning sun, talking easily, and laughing as they often do when getting ready to punish one another. Each has run close to, or under,…
Those Hands…
By any standard, my father has large hands. Growing up, I watched him use those hands in construction. Whenever I shook them, which was rare, my own would be engulfed entirely by callous and scar. His mason hands never saw the inside of a glove. They are a memory to me, those large hands, because…
