Sounds like an oxymoron, no? In Martha Beck’s O Magazine article this month (“I Don’t Care”), she talks about the need for “detached attachment,” which counteracts the fact that “caring—with its shades of sadness, fear, and insistence on specific outcomes—is not love.” Her eye-opening exercise? Think about it. Your loved one’s change would be icing […]
When “Dad” is Another Word for Love
One of my greatest fears about parenting, way back when, was the possibility of being a single parent in a married relationship. I know plenty of mothers who are. Maybe it hasn’t been the case with us because we agreed not to let such a thing happen. Maybe it’s because we waited 18 years to […]
God as Groundwater
I liked these two bits of storytelling. The first is an analogy. The second is a story. Bishop John Shelby Spong, in one of his interviews with The Religion Report, quotes ex-Catholic priest Matthew Fox as saying God is like groundwater. I like that. Various cultural groups are digging wells to reach life-giving well water, […]
Society without God?
I’ve just finished the most intriguing book—Society without God by Phil Zuckerman. He begins with these bold, introductory statements: Zuckerman lived in Scandinavia for 14 months, during which time he traveled extensively and interviewed as many people as he could, addressing several key points for this book. First, he argues that “society without God is […]
The Group Never Invents Anything
For a while now, one of my dreams has been to be a fly on the wall in a room full of TV writers, more specifically, in a development room where they’re creating the episode arcs and story lines for the season. I’ve always wondered at how creative one can be in a group. Obviously, […]