March 2011

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Reconciliation

So many divisions split the world into warring factions. We witness this from family life to international politics. Driven by unexamined fears, we build up animosities toward those who are different from ourselves. It’s easy to find reasons for enmity: race, sexual orientation, gender, politics, religion and many others. Religious beliefs ironically often defy the [...]

Religion

When we hear the word “religion,” we think of churches or similar institutions. This is normal since most of us learned about religion through our families and religious institutions. A growing number of younger people today call themselves spiritual without connection to organized religion. They indicate a kind of spirit experience that may be found [...]

Community

Reflection: We all experience some form of community from the time of our birth. As infants we would not survive without the care of others. For most of us, our families form the basic sustaining community. Our closest friends comprise another circle of support. Over many years we become more aware of the benefits and [...]

Compassion

Reflection: Compassion is much more than pity. The latter, though a worthy feeling in some circumstances, derives from a superior position. We have pity on those less fortunate than ourselves. Compassion comes from an inner experience of empathy that tells us we are ultimately in the same boat of  suffering as are others. Elderhood  provides [...]

Freedom

Reflection: Can aging bring us an enhanced freedom? Some elders say yes and show it in public and private. They find themselves less worried about what others will say. They are less outer-directed, having developed their own consciences over years of experiencing life’s ups and downs. Such people have questioned family, tribal, ethnic and even [...]