At Senator Ted Kennedy’s funeral this morning, his parish priest (Rev. Hession) mentioned that in his final days, Kennedy prayed and reflected on his life in light of Mary’s Magnificat. One of the most moving pieces of scripture, the Magnificat is Mary’s song in response to her cousin’s (Elizabeth’s) recognition that Mary will bear the [...]
Archive > August 2009
To Our Health: Drinking Water from Bottles or Taps?
Recently, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published a new report on U.S. drinking water that showed excessive atrazine. Atrazine is a weed killer, used widely on crops and golf courses, and associated with, among other things, birth defects, menstrual problems, and low birth weights. On Sunday, The New York Times published an excellent, in-depth [...]
Water in Sickness and in Health (a new series)
Known as the elixir of life, water is the most refreshing drink, uniting every species on the planet in a quest for its vital properties. Human bodies are composed of up to three-quarters water. We pour sacred water to symbolize transformation in religious ceremonies. We gratefully bathe in water to cleanse our bodies after hard [...]
Motherhood in Christian & Islamic Scriptures
Tonight begins the first day of Ramadan, a holy month in the Islamic year. During this month, Muslims around the world fast between sunrise and sundown, and increase their prayers as disciplines to honor Allah and grow in their spiritual journeys. There is much loveliness and hope in a month devoted to spiritual renewal and, [...]
Moving Past Angry Rhetoric on Health Care Reform
I’ve had several conversations with people in the past few days (partly in response to my last post) where people have said something like, “I am fine with health care reform, I just don’t like what Obama is proposing.” Most often, their complaints include phrases like “socialized medicine,” “ruining my health insurance,” and (for one [...]
Five Everyday Reasons that We Need Health Care Reform
With health care nearly ubiquitous in media, it’s easy to find loads of information and commentary about how people are up in arms, misinformation is being spread, and the public relations battle on health care reform is being waged. Reforming health care is a call for parents, the religious faithful, and caring people all over [...]
A Faith that Thrives on Questions
Recently, Dr. Richard Beck wrote a provocative piece challenging Christians to stop focusing on their “relationship with God” and start focusing on being a better person. His post sparked a flurry of responses, most of which were respectful and thoughtful, whether in agreement or not. But one comment in particular stood out to me. In [...]
At Home in the Web of Growers
Gardening is a nearly perfect family activity. It instills wonder of life (whether from a scientific or spiritual perspective), healthy eating habits, and early environmental ethics, and it’s just plain fun. I don’t know any kids who don’t light up at the prospect of digging in the dirt, planting seeds, watering plants (and themselves), and [...]
Bliss and Conscious Living
After my recent post on living with awareness and wonder, I encountered a lovely poem called “The Tao of Abba,” by Stephen Rose. The poem well captures some profound aspects of living consciously. The poem begins:
Bliss is the state of deepest happiness
To be blissful is to be free
Your only blissful impulse is to bless
This is [...]
Politicking Over the Final Vote to the Supreme Court
Today the United States confirmed the first Hispanic person and Latina to the Supreme Court. Yay! The final vote to confirm Justice Sonia Sotomayor was 68-31 (with Kennedy unable to vote).
Justice Sotomayor brings more federal judicial experience than any other justice in the past 100 years. She is a liberal moderate who has been consistent [...]
