Thanksgiving is always about bounty, cornucopia, an overflowing with excess. Yet many of us are not feeling cornucopian these days. The bounty isn’t exactly flowing. Excess seems only to be the measure of our debt. We’re not feeling the Thanksgiving. In the gospels Jesus tells us, “Do not worry about your life, what you will […]
Your Own Time Zone
My daily almanac tells me this: On this date in 1883, standard time zones were established in the United States and Canada. The railroad was the driving force behind the establishment of consistent time zones, and it was called Standard Railway Time (SRT). Prior to the use of SRT, all towns set their own time, […]
Strange Community
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 […]
The Wise Cabbie
The other night in New York I hailed a cab at about ten o’clock. I got in, said, “Grand Central, please,” and the cabbie asked me how my night was. I said I was coming home from a party to celebrate the launch of my wife’s latest book, and it had been a great evening. […]
Flexing Your Letting-Go Muscle
Sunday’s New York Times featured an article entitled, “Mother’s New Little Helper.” The subtitle, “What gets many women through stressful days? A little pill they take at night.” Cheryl Downs McCoy is a working mother who has a lot to manage: “I need to call that guy about fixing the car. I think I’ve run […]
Praying at 2:30 in the Morning
When you ask people, “Where have you experienced the presence of God in some powerful way?” they almost never mention the church. Even though I lead a church, that answer never bothers me. It’s true for me too. My most transporting experiences are always either in nature or in a close personal encounter with another human […]