spiritual insights on religion, social justice and comparative theology
I went on a staff and faculty retreat with my new school. We had the choice between participating in events like learning chef skills to axe throwing, meditating or kayaking. I chose kayaking as I haven’t been on the water all year but have been meaning to go. It was a pleasant trip down a … Continue reading Lessons From A Kayak Ride by William Klein
Religion serves a purpose. It is the outward expression of our inward realities. Religion is a means to an end. It functions as an agent to open us to realities we have not considered. Religion serves as an introduction to a reality that is more important. This reality is what brings transcendence to a human … Continue reading Religion As A Healing Agent by William Klein
I attended a Mass where the pastor Jerry Kopek at St. Peter and Paul Church in Williamsville, New York blessed the school bags of children to start the school year. He noted that we carry our wisdom, our successes and failures in those bags throughout the year. I would add that we carry those personally … Continue reading Baggage by William Klein
I always tell my students, “It’s not what happens to you in life, it’s how you respond to it”. It may be the most important lesson I need to impart. Sometimes it’s easier said than done. We all have that time in our lives where a moment tests our mettle. It seems like every now … Continue reading The Resolutionary Moment by William Klein
I was at a dinner party one night and we were talking about kids. I remember asking a mother, “What was the best advice she could give to her child”? She had one ‘go to’ phrase that she always finds herself using. “Pay attention”. She told me that her child was easily distracted, and she … Continue reading Pay Attention by William Klein
“There ain’t nothin’ more powerful than the odor of mendacity… You can smell it. It smells like death”. Tennessee Williams wrote those words in his famous play “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof”. Truth resonates and the words uttered by him have lasted the test of time because they are a testament to truth. Much … Continue reading Mendacity by William Klein
A friend of mine says, “There’s no such thing as coincidence”. He enjoys challenging me with miraculous possibilities. Whenever he hears about a miracle he asks with a curious tone, “Coincidence”? Thus challenging my sensibilities. It begs the question, “Is there such a thing as coincidence”? What about the idea of synchronicity? Webster’s dictionary defines … Continue reading Meaningful Coincidence by William Klein
Banksy is not only a unique artist, but he has strong ideas on how to help a community in need. I’ll address this in a minute, but first a little background on the artist. Banksy is the phenomenal graffiti artist, political activist and film auteur who steals away in the dark of night and creates … Continue reading The Art of Social Justice by William Klein
Every person who has ever walked the face of this earth is trying to understand who he or she is. Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am”? He needed others to help him gage what the world perceived about him. The great mystics of the world all identify the same idea. … Continue reading True Self and False Self by William Klein
There’s delight in collecting things. American Pickers is one of the most popular shows on the History Channel. Another show, Storage Wars, depicts how certain collections have afforded owners fortunes beyond their wildest dreams. Then again, the same show demonstrates how junk accumulates and costs more than it is worth to get rid of it. … Continue reading Holding On To Things by William Klein
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