“Everything happens for a reason.” That’s what well-meaning people often say when things go terribly wrong in someone else’s life: the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, or...

The first two parables in today’s passage are familiar. Most of us have heard about the treasure hidden in the field and the precious pearl. But the parable about separating good...

Here’s a true confession: I am terrible at growing things. I struggle to keep a single house plant alive, and I’ve never dared to try tending a whole garden. I just...

Scholars sometimes categorize Psalm 105 as a “historical psalm,” which emphasizes the history of the relationship between God and the people of Israel. The psalm begins with a short song of...

Yesterday’s reflection noted that it can be hard to find meaning in some of the stories of the Bible. The account of Jacob marrying Leah and then Rachel can make it...

The story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel is a disturbing one. From our current historical vantage point, it’s easy to read this passage and see only antiquated customs that treat women...

I  remember a Dan Fogelberg concert I went to in the seventies when I was fifteen years old. Most memorable about that night was the encore. Thousands of young people stood...

On March 18, 1958, Thomas Merton was on a rare excursion away from his monastery to run some errands in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. While standing at the corner of Fourth and...

Can we pray the words of the psalmist? Search me, O God, and know my heart. This prayer involves an element of risk. It may bring to light some things about...

Years ago, some friends and I hiked to the summit of Mount Whitney in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. I realized after finishing this hike that I had been so focused on...