It was March 1964, months after the assassination of her husband, when Jacqueline Kennedy sat down with Arthur M. Schlesinger for a seven-part interview. The tapes of that interview had been sealed—until now. Reading an article in the newspaper, including excerpts from the interviews, I was taken by Jackie’s remarks on her husband’s religion, especially […]
The Squirrels of 9/12
On my early morning run today there were squirrels everywhere, racing around with walnuts clutched in their mouths. Fall is coming and they know it. It’s time to put away food for a winter’s day. There is work to do. After weeks of drum beat and ballyhoo, 9/11 came and went. Now it is 9/12. […]
Electric Chairs
Pam and I are hosting a party tonight—for about 80 people. Since our house will not hold 80 people (even standing up), Pam suggested we let people “spill out onto the deck.” A fine idea except that the deck chairs are appallingly hideous. We got them (garage sale) over twenty years ago and the chair […]
As the Spit Turns
This Labor Day weekend we roasted a pig and threw a party. We got the wild idea while swimming in my brother’s pool one July evening. My brother John had just grilled our two families a poolside dinner. We were still savoring the meat in our post-prandial dip and someone said, “We ought to have a pig roast!” Everybody’s […]
The Old Well
“God is an underground river,” Meister Eckhart said, “that no one can dam up or stop.” I love that image of God because it completely flips the dominant image of God “up there.” When we first imagine a deity, God is always “up,” always distant, the Sky God of nearly every ancient religion. Until, gradually, […]
Cracks of Gold
The great question of human spiritual development is, What do I do with my brokenness? The simple fact is, nobody makes it into this world without getting a little damaged in transit. We don’t look like the pictures in the magazines. We can’t play football or basketball like the stars—our bodies just can’t do those […]