Whether in flowers, music, painting, story or other expressions, the theme of beauty returns again and again. I think that it is a profound human need, yet one that is sometimes recognized as such only when it is deeply experienced. I recall vividly my first trip to Europe. It was […] Read more

We concluded last week’s reflection with a story familiar to many of you, called The Gift. I’ll repeat it here and add a brief comment In one seat a wispy old man sat holding a bunch of fresh flowers. Across the aisle was a young woman whose eyes came    […] Read more

There is one feature that struck me in speaking of the meaning of “heart” as the inmost core or unifying centre of the person. It was not only the notion that love is what most gives meaning and fulfillment in our lives. It was the form of love expressed by […] Read more

One word or image that has recurred over and over again is that of heart, from little emojis to songs to book titles. The Latin word is cor which, I think, gets at its inner meaning, the core or inmost centre of ourselves or of anything. Following this same direction, […] Read more

Last week, we spoke of compassion as offering to one another not advice, answers, or a defensive wall, but a caring and safe place, a largely silent and listening presence, empty of our own clutter. The poet Rumi says: “Some human beings are safe havens. Be companions with them.” As […] Read more

The past five weeks, I have had the privilege of teaching a class on Greek Mythology. This experience followed several months spent with a five-year old friend who became totally immersed in these stories and with whom we explored many ways of looking at them. Revisiting these ancient stories, with […] Read more

In renewing my study of Greek mythology, I tried to discern the experience behind the stories, the basic life questions they raise, the answers found in these ancient tales, and the continuing light they shed on our current life situations. At the same time, I tried to look at them […] Read more