October 2020
The Law Protects, but Prayers Transform
President Trump and the first lady have tested positive for the coronavirus. I pray for their swift recovery. New York is also seeing growing coronavirus clusters, and the flagged hotspots include communities that have flouted […]
September 2020
Life Lessons We Learn Sometimes Too Late
Last Thursday, I gave a talk at an online clergy seminar hosted by the Long Island East District, where Rev. Julia Yeon-Hee Yim is the District Superintendent. I wrapped up an hour’s lecture with a […]
“Our Little Lives, Our Big Problems”
In his book “Meditations of the Heart” (1953), Howard Thurman prays:
“Our little lives, our big problems—
these we place upon Thy altar!
The quietness in Thy Temple of Silence
again and again rebuffs us:
For some there is no […]
Justice of Healing, Not Harm
“Magical Power, Marvelous Action! Chopping Wood, Carrying Water…” thus reflected an early Zen master of China. The ancient wisdom found beauty and profound spirituality at being fully present in the daily grind. So when young […]
Walking the Tightrope
“How does your church practice social responsibility?” a student from Drew Theological School asked me at an online seminar last Friday. The topic of discussion was the Wesleyan commitment to scriptural holiness, encompassing both inward […]
August 2020
Try to See the Beauty in Everything
I remember the phone call from my eldest daughter about eleven years ago. At the time, she was working within Obama’s campaign team and I was growing impatient to hear her next plans as the […]