Spirituality of Living Lightly
“Nowhere to lay his head…” We’ve been living lightly, moving lightly. Not that it’s been a bad experience, but we’ve been lay our heads down in a variety of places over the last six months. After getting rid of everything that did not fit in our small car, and trekking with our tent from Virginia…
Creating a Space for Peace
Looking back, it was one of the most energizing and renewing courses that I’ve taught so far. The combination of my co-facilitator, the participants, and the content was great, but more than that was the space that we created together. Theory and Practice of Peace Education took place in the second session of the Northeast…
War and Peace through Taxes
While studying in Harrisonburg, Virginia, I was fortunate to have work on campus. What I didn’t realize when taking the job that I would have an ethical dilemma. If I received a paycheque, I would also have to pay taxes. Although I fully support the use of taxes in any country to provide for education,…
A “Wasted” Life
Easter this year felt special. I guess it does every year, but I thought a lot this Lent and Easter season about the meaning of all of this in a way that I haven’t before. In our reflection time on Sunday, I wrote: “What does Easter mean to me? I don’t really know exactly.…
Prepare the Way for the Lord
Second Advent comes. We wait. We ponder the wilderness. Are we driven to this wilderness, chased by the attackers of fear, wrong decision, and unknown future? Or are we called to it, with trepidation and a slight hint of adventure? What does this wilderness look like? Is it the tangle of forests and brush that,…
A “Black Friday” Cultural Experience
I had an interesting cultural experience last week. Visiting friends for the U.S. thanksgiving holiday, we were invited to accompany them on a late night / early morning shopping adventure, also known to many as “Black Friday.” Although this is the third U.S. thanksgiving season I have experienced living in Virginia, and the third “Black…
Practical Wisdom
Today during a field trip with the Intensive English Program at Eastern Mennonite University, the staff had some miscommunication. The resulting disorganization didn’t cause any major problems, but was a bit frustrating and confusing for both students and staff. At our staff meeting when we got back, we discussed what went well and what we…
Trusting for the Little Things
Sometimes it’s not the big things that shake me as much as the little things. The daily worries of house, car, money, food, clothes, family and community relationships. These are the things that Jesus specifically says not to worry about and yet I do. Strangely enough, big situations, which are serious enough to warrant…
