Gerald May, in his beautiful book about St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, says this: When we were children, most of us were good friends with mystery. The world was full of it and we loved it. Then as we grew older, we slowly accepted the indoctrination that mystery exists only to … Continue reading Luke 18:1-17 Children of Mystery
First, let me introduce you to Andrew Hudgins’ poem, “Two Strangers Enter Sodom.” Two Strangers Enter Sodom by Andrew Hudgins Those who’d seen them told the others, and we gathered at Lot’s doorsills to watch them eat. They had just dipped their fingers into lentils and their slender fingers glistened with grease. Lot bathed their … Continue reading Luke 10:1-20 Responding to Beauty and Mystery
Jesus upends the lives and thoughts of the Pharisees, and they respond with anger. He sees that they’re angry, but instead of trying to assuage their anger, he ignores it and continues in his world-altering actions and teaching. He chooses disciples, and although he’s surrounded by a crowd of people, he begins his Sermon on … Continue reading Luke 6:1-26 Blessings and Woes
There are many reasons why we might find ourselves in the wilderness. When my mother died, I spent a year in a wilderness of grief. In a way I was lucky, because I could point to some loss, some reason for me being there. Sometimes, we find ourselves in the wilderness without a reason that … Continue reading Luke 4:1-13 The Wilderness
The Gospels claim, and Christians believe, that divinity is entangled with humanity. The evangelists go even further. When Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God, he is saying that creation itself is shot through with divinity. Divinity is all around us, and it always has been. Poets and mystics alike attempt to see through the … Continue reading Luke 2:1-21 Divinity Entangled with Humanity
KPB Stevens 