When Bill Moyers interviewed Joseph Campbell about the power of myth, there were two different reactions. The extraverts heard his stories and responded by using the word myth to indicate what is false. The events in his stories really never happened. The introverts responded to Campbell's stories as descriptions of an inner Read More
Escaping Death
February 6, 2010
I came across this Syrian fable a couple of decades ago and I've never forgotten it. It speaks to our best efforts to escape death.
There was once a beautiful young man whose father was a sultan. The lad lived with his family in Damascus. One day while his father was busy with matters of the palace, the boy came Read More
There was once a beautiful young man whose father was a sultan. The lad lived with his family in Damascus. One day while his father was busy with matters of the palace, the boy came Read More
The Pilgrim's Thirst
January 23, 2010
The great Spanish poet, Antonio Machado wrote:
It is good knowing that glasses
are to drink from;
the bad thing is not to know
what thirst is for.*
Evelyn Underhill, the exceptional English scholar of mysticism, wrote in an essay on "What is the Spiritual Life?": "So many Christians are like deaf people at a Read More
It is good knowing that glasses
are to drink from;
the bad thing is not to know
what thirst is for.*
Evelyn Underhill, the exceptional English scholar of mysticism, wrote in an essay on "What is the Spiritual Life?": "So many Christians are like deaf people at a Read More
The Trickster
January 21, 2010
One of the little discussed features of the psyche is the trickster. My 1972 Funk and Wagnalls' Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend tells me: "Tricksters are found in the unwritten literature of peoples over all the world, and usually many tales or cycles are devoted to their exploits. ...The trickster is Read More
Remembering Rabi'a al-Adawiyya: An 8th Century Woman Mystic
January 6, 2010
There are many women throughout history whose elevated spiritual lives can inspire our own. When I was researching God and Dreams: Is There A Connection? I came across such a woman that most people do not know. Rabi'a (717-801) was a mystic, ascetic and one of the first Sufis. Like others who Read More
A Tribute to Merlin Olsen
December 28, 2009
My father died on a Wednesday in March of 1984. He was 71. His final day was a perfect one for him. He'd played golf, then signed documents to purchase a new home to be built on a golf course in Rancho Mirage. He celebrated the events of the day by going to dinner at a Read More
Christmas and the Fear of New Life
December 25, 2009
One aspect of the Christmas story that is often ignored is the portion told in Matthew 1:18-2:3. These verses recount how Mary became pregnant prior to marrying Joseph and Joseph’s decision to discreetly remove her from his life. Before he could, Joseph had a dream in which an angel of the Lord told Read More
Why Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?
December 22, 2009
There are a number of explanations for why Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
First, there are the historic reasons. The Gospels, unfortunately, offer conflicting data. The Gospel of Luke indicates Jesus was born in Bethlehem because a census was being taken that required Joseph to leave Nazareth to return to his Read More
First, there are the historic reasons. The Gospels, unfortunately, offer conflicting data. The Gospel of Luke indicates Jesus was born in Bethlehem because a census was being taken that required Joseph to leave Nazareth to return to his Read More
My Role in the Dallas Cowboys’ First Game Ever
December 2, 2009
In August, 1960, I was 14. That summer I’d been attending a boy’s camp in Susanville, California. Two professional football players, Jack Ellena and Duane Putnam ran the camp. Jack and Duane had been teammates on the Los Angeles Rams in 1955. Both were offensive linemen. Jack had been a starter on UCLA’s undefeated Read More
Where I've Been
December 2, 2009
I haven't been blogging for a few months because I've been finalizing my new book, God and Dreams: Is There A Connection? It is now available at www.wipfandstock.com. Before jumping into my next writing project, I have some stories to share.