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The Supernatural Life of the Believer
I had a former student complain to me recently that the problem with ‘some charismatics’ is that they see a demon behind every tree as if every event was somehow supernatural. The real problem is, of course, that every event is supernatural, at least if we are doing it right and really, even if we aren’t. But I understand the sentiment because, after all, the supernatural appears to us as vague and indistinct. Our bacon and eggs in the morning; those are real. The gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit, maybe not so much. But all of Christianity hinges on a supernatural reality that leads to another supernatural reality. After…
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The Codependent Behavior that Kills Your Joy
I spent most of my life thinking that codependent behavior was buying alcohol for alcoholics. I pictured a weak but loving person giving some drunk on the street a bottle of booze because at least the addict would be happy for a little while. Or maybe going to the bar, picking their loved one off the floor and taking them home, putting them to bed, only to do it again the next day. My ideas were mostly informed, I believe, by the movies. Turns out codependent behavior is a little more complicated. Turns out I didn’t just have codependent tendencies, but full-blown behaviors that needed to be addressed. So this…
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The Wait of Glory: Mindfulness and the Mind of Christ
The men in my family lose their ability to wait in line at the age of forty-five. I remember my grandfather, as we were getting ready to go to Disney World, almost losing his nerve and bickering with my grandmother. “The lines, Mary Alice,” he said in urgent tones, “Think of the lines!” Later, my father came to visit me in Kentucky. At what was supposed to be a quick trip to the grocery store, we waited at the meat counter for the lady to slice pastrami. But we were in Kentucky and in Kentucky, a trip to the grocery store is a chance to become acquainted. At length. Twenty…
Healing Through Art & Words
