spiritual insights on religion, social justice and comparative theology
There’s a funny app that pulls off an undeniably funny trick. It’s called the “Crying App.” My nephew pulled a fast one on me at dinner. He slyly pulled out his phone and began recording me. “How you doing? You happy?” He asked. I was stoic, almost robotic. “I’m great! Couldn’t be better. Great food, brilliant company, … Continue reading Tears For My Hometown by William Klein
This Sunday we celebrated women who helped to make us who we are. I’ve been around long enough to know that some women have difficult relationships with their mothers, but all people – whether realized or unrealized -- are in constant search to know what that maternal experience means to them. Some people have been … Continue reading Honoring the Maternal by William Klein
It’s that time of year where things are getting testy. Students see the end of the year. Seniors are checking out due to the dastardly symptoms of “senioritis” and faculty continues to swim upstream as we try to plan engaging lessons and look for glimpses of life that genuine learning is happening in the classroom. No … Continue reading Moments of Joy by William Klein
The great Albert Einstein once said, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other as though everything is a miracle.” Sometimes the world beats us up, and we don’t know if we’re coming or going. I think of the life of St. Paul. There he was, a mercenary … Continue reading A Miracle in a Day by William Klein
The dangers of denial in the human heart are many. These dangers have immediate detrimental effects that can cause great harm to a society. One of the greatest deficits in the human condition is the most problematic and that is the deficit of compassion. Never take for granted the power of compassion to heal and bring … Continue reading The Compassion Deficit by William Klein
"The Three Hermits,” a short story by Leo Tolstoy, tells of a priest who is traveling on the ocean. He sees a deserted island and wants to visit it. While there he meets three hermits who of their own will came to the island to pray and find God. The priest asks them if they pray … Continue reading Solitude by William Klein
We never really realize the power of community until we step outside our busy lives and retreat with others. Surrendering our technology, blocking out time, digging deep into listening to the stories of others and hardships they’ve endured, and the sweet expressions of joy as a result of working through them, can be a healing … Continue reading The Poetry of Community by William Klein
Henri Nouwen talked about the difficult task of “Finding Our Sacred Center.” He noted that this was achieved through three disciplines that can be found in scripture; solitude, community and care. He refers to a passage in scripture where Jesus goes to the mountain to pray. He comes down from the mountain and commissions twelve disciples to … Continue reading Nouwen’s “Finding Our Sacred Center” by William Klein
Interestingly enough, there are a number of Persian Suhrawardi’s who were instrumental in the proliferation of Sufism in Islam. There was even a Sufi order that was created by a Suhrawardi. But I’ve been studying the work of Shihab al-din Suhrawardi, a 12th Century Sufi mystic who is also known as the Shaykh al-Ishraq (“Master of … Continue reading Sufi Mystic Suhrawardi by William Klein
It has been said that “The journey is the goal.” It may sound cliché, but it is true and sometimes a good cliché is “worth its weight in gold.” Sacred scriptures document for practitioners ways to cope with the challenges of life. These wisdom teachings are blueprints or road maps for us to enjoy the … Continue reading The Journey Is The Goal by William Klein
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