“In this refulgent summer, it has been a luxury to draw the breath of life…”
So began Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous “Divinity School Address,” which he delivered in July of 1838, to the six members of the graduating class of Harvard … read more.
“Solvitur ambulando,” wrote St. Augustine — “it is solved by walking.”
I’ve been re-learning the wisdom of Augustine’s words lately. I’ve started walking a mile or so each day as a way to slowly and gently ease my way back into an exercise program. I’m so … read more.
Our Soul Matters theme for the month of May is “Creativity.”
Creativity is often thought of as the province of a lonely genius working in splendid isolation, perhaps starving somewhere in an unheated artist’s garret. But in my experience genuine creative work is more often the … read more.
“Curiouser and Curiouser!” — Alice in Wonderland
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about “curiosity” I am curious about curiosity. Why do some people seem to have lots of it, and others not so much? Is curiosity a virtue? How can it be cultivated? What is … read more.
The fourth principle of the Unitarian Univeralist Association’s covenant affirms the value of “a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” Both of the adjectives in that fine phrase are important; freedom and responsibility belong together in a kind of creative tension.
One of … read more.
“Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
More than cool reason ever comprehends.”
— William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakespeare was on to something with that whole “seething brain” thing. Apparently, the brains of people in love are awash in a bath of … read more.
One of my favorite movies of all time is a quirky and compelling 1981 film called “My Dinner with Andre,” The story consists entirely of a conversation between two real-life theater friends, Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory — essentially playing themselves — as they share … read more.
One of the greatest gifts that any person can give to another is simply to be fully present, in a spirit of relaxed and attentive openness.
The fact is that we aren’t very often present to one another in this way. Instead, we are – in … read more.
From the moment I first encountered it, I’ve liked the crisp, vivid and memorable language of this Fellowship’s mission statement. Our stated purpose is “nurturing spirit, transforming lives and leading change.” Each one of those active verbs sets off resonant ripples of meaning in my … read more.
Some years ago, when I was asked to deliver an invocation at my congregation’s Oktoberfestfundraising dinner, I recalled the keen and profoundly cynical observation made by the brilliant, mad German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche: “The trick,” he said, “is not to arrange a festival, but to … read more.
