Redefining faith on El Camino

Since high school, I’ve been teaching the Christian faith to others. In parishes, classrooms, and while camping in the woods, I’ve taught songs, explained Bible stories, instilled virtues and asked students to memorize definitions and lists. And, occasionally, over the years, a thoughtful youngster in one of those settings would interrupt my enthusiastic lectures and…

The beauty of brokenness
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The beauty of brokenness

An old building in disrepair, collapsing toward the ground. A rusting, defective car, stuck in layers of mud. Shattered glass. Melting candle. Cracked eggshells. Chipped ceramics. The sight of the simplest crack in a sidewalk can still my body, stun my soul. The colors and textures of a simple, broken branch can inspire poetry. It may…

Marked

 Most days, our schedules are clogged with avoidance: We’d rather ignore the inevitable smudge of human decay.   This morning though, Ash Wednesday, we step into lines and confront the truth of pain.   We allow strangers to mark us with a message of paradox.   Remember, you are dust. To dust you will return….