Blog Archive
Contemplating the messiness of Christian life
The Messy Jesus Business Blog is an ecumenical Christian gathering of musings about what it means to live the Gospel today. A variety of contributors offer prayer, poetry, book reviews, creative nonfiction and prose about what it means to live a life of faith in our complex, modern times.
-
The holy urgency of hospitality
Recently I spent several weeks out of town, as a guest in the home of some of my friends. A family member had a major surgery and it was a privilege to be present during the recovery. I decided to walk to the local Catholic Church and attend daily mass – nothing too unordinary for…
-
Lest we feast unto our own judgment
I sometimes joke that I want to start a cooking blog where, instead of telling the same formulaic stories about “my grandmother used to make this cake,” or “my family discovered this stew on vacation,” I situate my recipes in dramatic fantasies and thrillers. Who wouldn’t want to try the cake I made for my…
-
There are no words
“There are no words,” she tells me. As she sits on the couch across from my chair, she nevertheless fishes for the box of tissues to curb the tears and salvage some words from the inner devastation she experiences. As a social worker and psychotherapist, this is familiar territory for me. What makes this time…
-
Courageous countercultural choices inspired by St. Francis
This weekend, throughout the world, Franciscans will gather to celebrate the feast of our founder, St. Francis of Assisi. On Friday evening we’ll pray in holy spaces and remember his Transitus, his holy death. On Saturday we’ll gather for Holy Mass and celebrate his whole life, and the influence that he has had and continues…
-
A long hope for a just peace in Israel and Palestine
My heart is torn in two by the situation in Palestine and Israel. Every day the situation sounds more dire and I feel more helpless. In seeking for some clarity I reached out to my former Quaker campus minister at Guilford College, Max Carter. He lived and served in the Palestinian West Bank in the…
-
Resources for Resistance
In this part of the world it’s back to school season, a time to take inventory of supplies, arrange schedules, and restart routines. Although I’m not a teacher nor student right now, my work in vocation ministry has also put me in planning mode and I feel the crunch of time ticking away, eating up…
-
Jesus says, set them free
On Saturday August 16, 2025, hundreds gathered for Mass outside Alligator Alcatraz in protest of reported harsh conditions for the hundreds of immigrants held at this remote detention center in the Florida Everglades. During his homily, Fr. Frank O’Laughlin advocated for “Liberty to the oppressed,” echoing Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of his public ministry.…
-
The signs of these times
You know how to judge the appearance of the sky,but you cannot judge the signs of the times.–Matthew 16:3 The smog is thick, the water murkyEach day moods are shifty Now we wonder if clarity is mythIs consistency a scam Strategic plans fell out of fashion Chaos creeps like cancer Maybe the era of fairnessAged out…
-
Kent Monkman: Telling the truth through art
In the gospels, Jesus tells us to go into the world and spread the good news. This desire to convert non-Christians was distorted by popes and many Catholics in the 15th and 16th-centuries. The doctrine of discovery, papal bulls that legitimized colonization, were written with lots of religious justification. In June, I went to an…
-
When fear grips the wealthy and the poor are brave
Jesus said to his disciples:“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.Sell your belongings and give alms.Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,an inexhaustible treasure in heaventhat no thief can reach nor moth destroy.For where your treasure is, there also will your heart…
-
Every Mouth Be Fed: What a Communal Meal Taught Me About Resistance
Feeding people is an act of holy resistance. As forced starvation and a prolonged humanitarian blockade in Gaza reach catastrophic and irreversible levels, I find myself grieving, raging, and praying a lot about food: its necessity for survival, and its power to sustain and inspire our collective flourishing. As I hold the weight of these…
-
Of Fullness and Famine
“Your ordinary acts of love and hope point to the extraordinary promise that every human life is of inestimable value.” – Desmond Tutu I was solo parenting on Sunday. My husband and son were out of town. I was flanked by daughters Nim, six, lolling around in the pew to my left and asking “when’s…
Let’s Connect
Subscribe and get thoughtful email messages from us
