The myth does not point to a fact; the myth points beyond facts to something that informs the fact. from An Open Life
03963 – Myths & Facts
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03910 – Biblical Justice: Restorative
When the average American hears the word "justice," I think very often--unless they have been taught otherwise--the first idea they have is punishment, and that's unfortunate. Biblical justice is always restorative. The point is never simply punitive; the point is to...
03764 – Never Forget!
Never forget the ones who saw you at your lowest point, and instead of offering judgment and distance, they extended presence and grace--those are your people.
03742 – Missing Jesus’ Point?
We miss Jesus' point entirely when we use his words as weapons against others.
03699 – Because of You
At your funeral or at your 90th birthday they're not going to say, "I am so grateful to him or her because he/she was happy." Living lovingly toward others will definitely have moments of happiness, but one might do well to understand that it is not the happy moments...
03670 – How God Treats Those whom God Loves
If I take Easter as the starting point, the one incontrovertible fact about how God treats those whom he loves, then human history becomes the contradiction and Easter a preview of ultimate reality.----------------------------------Gender-neutral version: If I take...
03597 – Literal vs. Symbolic
My point, once again, is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they told them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally.
03087 – Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess
Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from becoming too talkative, and especially from the unfortunate habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and at every opportunity. Release me from the idea...
03009 – Look for “The Image of God”
And when you come to the point that you look in the face of every man and see deep down within him what religion calls “the image of God,” you begin to love him in spite of. No matter what he does, you see God’s image there. There is an element of goodness that he can...
02854 – The Sword of Truth
You don't always have to chop with the sword of truth. You can point with it too. from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life