“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Grieving is a universal human experience. Loss is something that we all go through. So in one sense, Jesus asking twice about Mary Magdalene’s weeping seems odd. Weeping is appropriate when the one you love has been “taken away.” In the Gospel Jesus is warning… Read More »

Radical hospitality is a buzz word in church circles today. The idea is simple — in a world full of strife and division, church is the place were “all are welcome.” Of course this is not a new idea; it is as old as faith itself. Father Abraham practices radical hospitality when he welcomed the… Read More »

“The time the children of Israel had stayed in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.” That’s a long time. 430 years ago the English were enjoying their defeat of the Spanish Armada! What would you like to say to your 21-times great-grandfather? The Biblical point is that God always comes on time. Maybe it’s… Read More »

“Your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do.” This accusation hurled at Jesus has echoed through the ages. Being a priest in Elizabethan England was unlawful — and hundreds were martyred. Sitting at a lunch counter in the Southern US was unlawful. Hundreds were jailed for doing so. When Dr. King was asked about… Read More »

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me … For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Jesus used an image that his hearers would be familiar with — that of a plow team. The yoke enables the two animals to combine their strength to complete the work at hand. Jesus wants us… Read More »

The scene of Moses before the burning bush has a Cecil B. DeMille quality — dramatic, picturesque, evocative. “The place where you stand is holy ground.” Being on Holy Ground means you are in the right place, you can make contact with God. Seeking holy ground can become something of a spiritual quest — Sagrada… Read More »

Moses is the figure more than any other who shaped the faith of Israel. His origin story is a bit shaky. (Don’t all superheroes have origin stories?) The name Moses is a perfectly good Egyptian name and doesn’t need the Hebrew explanation. What is secure is that he became the significant figure in leading a… Read More »

For the past few weeks we have been reading from Genesis — the story of the Patriarchs. For the next few weeks the readings will be taken from Exodus — the story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of slavery into the promised land. (After that a brief look at Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy —… Read More »

I guess we’re supposed to be like the Good Samaritan, right? Isn’t that what the Gospel demands of us? Look at the way in which Jesus speaks the parable. Jesus is asked, what am I supposed to do? Jesus answers, love God and love your neighbor. Who is my neighbor? Then Jesus tells the story… Read More »

One of the undercurrents in contemporary thinking is speciesism. According to the dictionary “Speciesism is the idea that being human is a good enough reason for human animals to have greater moral rights than non-human animals.” Contrast that with the teaching of Jesus: “So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”… Read More »