Our Weekly Devotionals are created by our staff and members to inspire reflections and conversation.
Curious
Here’s how I am - I begin reading a book and soon want to talk about it to everyone that I come in contact with. Vasectomy patients, Kari, any of the six kids who happen to be trapped in the kitchen with me, co-workers, sisters…anyone.
That Will Be Me
AIt is never too late to be who you might have been. George Eliot
Gosh, I hope that’s true. It’s a rich sentiment from a woman who became a revered novelist, using a male pen name. And not because she liked the sound of George better than her given name of Mary Ann. It was the England of the mid-19th century, and she wouldn’t have been taken seriously as a “woman writer.” She didn’t sit in an attic room, watching the world go by while she wrote about the lives of other people.
Ordinary
Another mass shooting in America. Was it a school this time? A bank? A grocery store? A funeral home? Does it matter?
How often do the words “mass shooting” appear on the news banner of the 6:00 news? How often do we hear those words spoken by the exasperated news anchor? Do we wince when we hear it? Do we shudder when we see it? Do we lash out when we read about it? Do we pray? Do we call our representatives again and yell into their voicemail inboxes? Do we become numb, sigh heavily, and turn away? Do we have to sit down and hold our head in our hands?
Life Finds A Way
Life finds a way…. In the spring weeds that miraculously break through the cracks and crevices of our driveways; in newborn creatures of all shapes and sizes who instinctively grasp on to and grow into this new world they’ve entered; in those of any age fighting illness & disease who with the help of the science of medicine and dedicated health care workers unexpectedly find healing…life finds a way. In this season of the year, we focus on the power and hope of new life, rebirth, and the joy and warmth the sun gives after cold dark winter days.
Lessons Learned
When I started my graduate program, I had a vision for my career: get my degree, publish research papers, become recognized in my field. Along the way, I did the clinical training required for my degree, but I remained convinced that I wanted a research career. It not only seemed interesting, but more prestigious and respected.
A Father’s Wish
As I watched my son standing at the altar waiting to see his future bride walk down the aisle, my brain was flooded with memories, hopes and dreams.
The special occasion reminded me how fast time can speed by us. It seemed like only yesterday that Evan’s biggest dilemma was convincing me to get him a Steve Young jersey and more Thomas the Tank Engine tracks. In the blink of an eye, my oldest son has a career, a house, a beautiful bride, and a life of his own.
Finding Ourselves
We’ve been watching The Last of Us, a post-apocalypse TV drama based on a video game series. It stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. The world has been decimated by a fungus, and infected people have been turned into fungus carriers. The show is compelling as Joel and Ellie attempt to cross the country, avoiding “infected” and raiders. It’s hard for them to know the true intentions of the people they encounter.
It Takes a Village
Recently I heard a story from Jack Kornfield’s book The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace. An internationally renowned Buddhist teacher, Kornfield tells a story about a particular ritual of the Babemba tribe in South Africa. If an individual within the tribe does something irresponsible or unjust, everything in the village stops. The guilty party is placed in the center of the village, and the entire tribe, every man, woman and child, gathers around them in a large circle. And it begins…
Refocus
I’m forever trying to simplify. And that means different things at different times. But it usually is an attempt to decrease the number of choices. Fewer variables. Two pairs of work pants and work shoes. The shirts that I wear to work come from the same store and are the same style. Lunch is nearly always the same. It’s more than a habit. It’s an intention.
In Defense of Dreaming
I had a curious interaction with a student last week. While talking about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights this student, likely frustrated that they had to sit through a whole hour with a sub, made the comment that good thoughts do nothing, only actions will change how things are. I understood where they were coming from, and when it comes to the ubiquitous “thoughts and prayers” we hear of on a regular basis I wholeheartedly agreed.
Reminders of Our Past
On the walls of INESIN, the site for our little Peace pilgrim group, bright tapestries hang on the wall. The colors and patterns are beautiful. Elena, our host, explained the history of these particular tapestries. They were made by Tseltal women from the village of Tenejapa not long ago, after they forgot and then remembered their patterns and colors.
HEAR OUR PRAYER
Is it okay to start a devotional with, “I have so much to say and nothing at all to share”? Everything is a big deal, and nothing matters. People I love are in crisis, and people halfway around the world are searching through rubble to find their loved ones. I wonder if my child is a distracted driver, while another mother worries that her child won’t survive a traffic stop. Please keep reading, though; we’re going to do this one together.
“There’s No ‘I’ in Team!”
This week I finished another year around our sun and celebrated my day of birth. The day before, I received an unexpected package in the mail from my oldest that was a complete surprise. For the last several years I’ve made clear to my progeny that although I’m a lifelong Chiefs fan, I’m not a fan of player’s jerseys.
Grace and Gratitude
This winter in Chicago has been gray—the sky permanently overcast, with feeble light, the color of weak tea filtering into my apartment. The sun sets as early at 4pm in mid-December, and even now, sunset is before 5pm. The effects of so little daylight vary person-to-person, but I am one of those who feels sluggish, loses motivation, and generally struggles to get things done.
Seeing Good in the World
The last few years have been tough for so many people, me included, that it becomes easy to fixate on all the negatives. But there are still good things happening every day. On Friday, I had the good fortune of seeing one of those good things first hand with some of my Peace friends.
If the Earth is a Nickel, Mars is a Raspberry
Brandon wrote last week about how he was searching for a temperate mindset for 2023. He wants to hold on “to earthly matters loosely.” I really appreciated that sentiment. For 2023, I want to cultivate joy in unexpected places.
It was all very informative, but then we took a deeper dive into NASA’s website and stumbled upon this quote, “With a radius of 2,106 miles (3,390 kilometers), Mars is about half the size of Earth.
Temperance
I may not be great at living in the present, but it’s not because I’m thinking about the past. 2022 is over and there were plenty of highs and lows and I did my fair share of reflection in December. But I’m ready to move forward. We all did our best last year, right?
Trust the Wait
We are through the Advent time of waiting, and the rush of Christmas Day. And now, we begin another week of waiting – this time between Christmas and New Year. It is the calm after the storm of preparation. The vacation day with no alarm set, and nowhere to be, except on the couch, with a movie on, and if you’re a part of my family, leftover apple pie for breakfast. A little bit of suspended animation before the rush back to reality after the holiday.
Lincoln’s Tomb
Last Monday, on my move back to Kansas City, I stopped in Springfield, Illinois to pay a visit at the Lincoln Tomb. It's one such monument that I've visited a handful of times before, but never before this time have I been alone with the Lincolns in the building. We are at a moment in our history when things seem to rhyme with Lincoln's day, when we Americans are divided against one another to such an extreme not seen in these last 160 years.
Take a Little Time
Madeira. It’s a little island in the Atlantic, minding its own business. During the pandemic lockdown on a dreary weekend, I was roaming the internet, looking for somewhere without much Covid, far away from American politics and cable news. I stumbled on pictures of Madeira, sitting alone in the ocean, to the west of Africa and a part of Portugal. It seemed like a flower-filled paradise, and did not disappoint when we went there in August.