Matthew 13:44-46 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in their joy they go and sell all that they have and buy that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, […]
Matthew 13:31-35 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air […]
Ezekiel 37:1-10 NRSV Have you ever felt like you were in a place of desolation? In other words, when have you felt hopeless, stranded, parched from thirst, empty? Part of our humanity is in recognizing that we do have these low moments—periods of time when we just don’t know if we can continue living. We […]
John 9:1-7 Roots, Frida Kahlo, 1943 How do we see ourselves? Is our view of ourselves accurate? How do our experiences, both good and bad, affect how we see ourselves? How do we see others? How do our experiences, what we hear or read, affect how we see other people? How can we see ourselves […]
Isaiah 11:1-4a It is December. It’s colder. The leaves are on the ground. Winter has come. Animals know it. They sense it—they go about their business getting ready for colder nights, gathering food and making more stable shelters. There is so much movement in nature at this time of year if you pay attention to […]
John 6:35-44; 48-51 Bienaventurado el que no cambia el sueño de su vida por el pan de cada día. Blessed are those who do not exchange the dreams of their lives for their daily bread. ―Facundo Cabral, Argentina Daily bread is the thing we all need to survive. We need to eat. Sadly, because we’re […]
John 17:12-19 What is gravity? Gravity is a force of nature that you experience every day. It’s produced by all matter in the universe and attracts all pieces of matter, regardless of type. The Earth produces gravity and so do the sun, other planets, your car, your house, and your body. Gravity pulls things and […]
Philippians 4 All life is suffering. This is the first and truest of the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, an essential belief for Buddhists—that sorrow, loss, and death await all of us and the ones we love. Sounds depressing, maybe, but it is true. And you don’t have to be Buddhist to believe it. Everyone “suffers” […]
EXODUS 14:15-16; 19-22 I grew up in Indiana and Iowa. Tornadoes happen there. I remember one day in the summer when I was a kid. I was walking home; this was in Indiana. The weather was so strange. Everything was eerily calm. It was like listening to music really, really loud and then someone pulls […]
Exodus 3:1-7; 11-15 Friday marked the beginning of the Ganesha Festival for Hindus around the world. Ganesh Chaturthi festival honors Lord Ganesh[a], the form or deity that represents intellect and wisdom. The son of goddess Parvati, Ganesh is identified by his elephant head. The festival is 10 days of music, drums, prayers, dancing, and food. […]