Many times when I ask someone about their spirit-life, the response that I get has to do with how often they are meditating/praying, how much they are giving, how often they open and read their sacred texts, how consistently they gather with their spiritual communities. Very rarely do they mention the double-pepperoni Hot Pocket they … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 10—Sleep is Underrated
Spirit and Soil
Spirit and Soil: Part 9—Your Dirt is Spiritual, Too
It is estimated that nearly a million Tutsis were systematically extirpated in Rwanda by the Hutu in the 1990s. 300,000 of those being children. Machetes and hand grenades were the weapons of choice. On children. All this in a country that was considered to be the most successful mission field for Christians in the 1950s. … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 9—Your Dirt is Spiritual, Too
Spirit and Soil: Part 8—We’re Pretty Much Like Ducks on a Log
Sleeping can be dangerous if you’re a duck. There are lots of creatures that appreciate a good duck, and so will wait for one to fall asleep. And a sleeping duck is—sorry about this—a sitting duck. Except that ducks team up when they sleep. They will sometimes choose a log, and sleep with two … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 8—We’re Pretty Much Like Ducks on a Log
Spirit and Soil: Part 7–Temples are Overrated
Sometimes temples just aren't that helpful. In the ancient accounts passed down to us about Jesus, there is this beautiful story of a Samaritan woman who recognizes him as “a prophet”. But…she doesn’t totally trust this prophet because “you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” So let’s back up … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 7–Temples are Overrated
Spirit and Soil: Part 6—I’m Not In A Hurry (Mostly)
“Today.” Father Greg Boyle says that this is what many of the desert monastics would recite as a way of centering themselves in spirit. He has his own mantra inspired by the name of a play off-Broadway: “Now. Here. This.” It reminds him that what is in front of him, who is in front of … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 6—I’m Not In A Hurry (Mostly)
Spirit and Soil: Part 5—The Back of the Divine
“Don’t let your spirit die before your body does,” reminds Jon Foreman. It is a reminder that that which is neglected, ignored, denied can quickly atrophy and be lost. Our soil-ness—body, calendar, deadlines, to-do lists, pay checks—are right in front of us, demanding our attention…and rightly so! Matter matters. But if we ignore our spirit, … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 5—The Back of the Divine
Spirit and Soil: Part 4–Mud Flap Theology
Some mud flaps are better than others. Probably the most prominent and famous are the mud flaps carrying the chromed, curvaceous woman. Some would see them as harmless, but I would argue otherwise. It has something to say about reality, about people, about God. There is a theology to it. It tells us that some … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 4–Mud Flap Theology
Spirit and Soil: Part 3–Before the Tesla 3…was the Chevy Nova
It is hard to miss the enormous Tesla factory situated on I-880, between Oakland and San Jose. Not only is the facility mammoth, the signage is matched to its facade: T-E-S-L-A. But before Model 3s were being rolled out there, the plant belonged to GM and Toyota, in a joint venture known as NUMMI. The … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 3–Before the Tesla 3…was the Chevy Nova
Spirit and Soil: Part 2–They Didn’t Tell Me the Doc would Do This When I Turned 40
In the beginning...it was months. And then it was years. And then it was grades. Grades turned into the number of people I could get to attend an event, which turned into how much I could put into my retirement account, which turned into a whole new set of numbers in my G.P.’s office. Glucose. … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 2–They Didn’t Tell Me the Doc would Do This When I Turned 40
Spirit and Soil: Part 1–Don’t Worry, This Isn’t Close to a Thousand Words
1000 words aren’t worth what they used to be. It used to be that they were the given value for a well-taken picture. But more and more we’d rather settle for the picture, no matter how meaningless or marginal or manipulated it is. We take them. We tweak them. We scroll them. We are saturated … Continue reading Spirit and Soil: Part 1–Don’t Worry, This Isn’t Close to a Thousand Words