Amy Tan, author of many wonderful novels including The Kitchen God’s Wife, has written an unexpected bestseller, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. This book is not a novel but contains her drawings of backyard birds, descriptions of their activities, and her thoughts about the birds she encounters. She is not a bird expert, but an observer …

I recently met with a friend I had not seen for many years. In the years we have been apart, my friend has experienced heartbreaking tragedy. When we finally had the chance to get together, the first thing I noticed about her was her gentleness. She is one of the gentlest people I know and …

As a Cistercian monk, Thomas Merton kept a daily schedule that differed significantly from ours. He went to bed around seven and began his day with prayer at 2:30 in the morning. He stayed up through the darkness, praying and reading until he witnessed the sunrise. Though I have never tried to live this way, …

In the first few chapters of Luke’s gospel, we are given a glimpse of the beauty of hidden life. We see Zechariah and Elizabeth’s quiet devotion to God through years of infertility and political oppression, Mary’s young, small life visited by the angel Gabriel, the private joyful meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, the hidden movement …

I keep my favorite Merton quote on my desk so that I read it every day. Just go on walks, live in peace, let change come quietly and invisibly on the inside. Thomas Merton This quote reminds me that living a spiritual life is less about my efforts and more about letting God work in …

Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. Did you ever learn this song about Zacchaeus? I remember learning it as a child when I attended vacation bible school in the summer. This song comes to …

In preparing for a presentation, I looked online for images of the prophetess Anna (Lk 2:36-38). The image I chose to use featured an old, somewhat plump woman, with a brown blanket wrapped around her head. She is sitting near a window that lets in a small amount of light. Her concentration is directed to …

I remember a class discussion in graduate school about the nature of God. The discussion became uncomfortable and heated as people increasingly became more intent on expressing their opinions (which they thought were factually true) than on listening to what others were trying to say. I was caught up in this discussion and trying to …

Last winter my ninety-one-year-old mother had a series of mini strokes resulting in a hospital stay followed by weeks in a nursing home. The strokes affected my mother’s physical and cognitive health enough that it seemed likely that her living situation would have to change. My brother and I met with her team of care …

It is the time of year when darkness comes early and stays longer. I hear many people complaining about this time of year. The darkness, the cold, and the dangerous roads impose limitations on our time outside and our time together. I can appreciate these complaints and there are seasons of life that make this …