by David Anderson
Unhappiness is an inside job. But you’d hardly know it. We’re so used to blaming others for our state. “I don’t like my job—I work with a pitiful group of people.” “I hate this town. It’s full of lousy people.” Or “I stopped going to that church. It was full of nothing but hypocrites!” Like […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Community, Happiness, Now/ the Present, Seeing
If like me you loved to read Shel Silverstein to your kids (or you’re lucky enough to be doing it now), you remember “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and “The Giving Tree.” Here’s another Silverstein poem I found, one I didn’t know. It’s a riff on the Pied Piper myth. It’s a poem about staying home—for […]
by David Anderson 2 Comments Filed Under: Community, Family, Fear, Freedom
This is Ash Wednesday. If you darken the door of a church today—or even if you read the paper or the news online—you’ll hear about “sin.” That’s what Christians are repenting of today. Which is true, it’s just that there is a great big ironic problem which would be comic if it were not so […]
by David Anderson 11 Comments Filed Under: Change, Community, Forgiveness, Happiness
Why is it that you can’t smell what you can’t smell? Consider: In the mid-90’s Procter & Gamble began a secret project to create a product that would eliminate bad odors. They spent millions developing a colorless liquid that could be sprayed on anything malodorous—and it worked. The product was called Febreze. After making this […]
by David Anderson 1 Comment Filed Under: Change, Community, Daily Practice
On the day after Christmas the work of Christmas begins. If yesterday we welcomed the Prince of Peace, then today we must live under his most gracious rule. Christmas has the power to break down the walls that separate us and unite us as in our common humanity. That power was never more remarkably demonstrated […]
by David Anderson 9 Comments Filed Under: Community, Faith/Trust, Fear, Forgiveness
Two hours ago I witnessed an accident. I am at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York—here for three days of retreat. I have driven up this morning, but I have checked in early and no lunch is served, so the friendly woman at the welcome desk directs me to a sandwich joint down […]
by David Anderson 8 Comments Filed Under: Community, Prayer/Meditation