spiritual insights on religion, social justice and comparative theology
The principle of spiritual atrophy and its consequences is a daunting prospect. The dictionary definition of “atrophy” that I’m using is the “gradual decline or ineffectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect.” If you do not exercise your muscles, you tend to lose strength in the muscle. This is the case with spiritual development … Continue reading Spiritual Atrophy by William Klein
I was invited to an event last Sunday by my friend, “The Chosen” star, Jonathan Roumie. Roumie is starring in “The Jesus Movement” with Kelsey Grammar that is in theaters on November 18th. Reverend Greg Laurie, a producer of the film, hosted his “Southern California Harvest Event” in San Diego’s Petco Park and at Anaheim’s … Continue reading “The Jesus Revolution” by William Klein
Recently Governors Greg Abbott of Texas, Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Arizona’s Doug Ducey have “relocated illegal immigrants” to places like Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Massachusetts. Abbott sent “busloads” to Vice President Kamala Harris’s house in Washington and DeSantis sent “two plane loads” to Martha’s Vineyard, a popular beachfront resort island for the wealthy … Continue reading An Exercise In Welcoming The Stranger 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
"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
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
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
We all want to escape something. For some it’s the job; for others it’s school; still others it’s a relationship that troubles them; others it’s a nagging problem rooted in our malaise in life and others it’s responsibility. At the heart of each heartbeat of discontent is understanding waiting to take root and change us. … Continue reading Escapism by William Klein
The act of birth itself is traumatic. We enter from a womb of comfort and security into a bold, daunting and dissonant, chaotic, hurried fluorescent lit world – bloodied and wet, sticky, being handed from one to another and relying on multiple sensibilities to hold a frantic awareness calmly, serenely with understanding and poignant culpability. … Continue reading Coping With Trauma by William Klein
Blame is a wicked curse. It creates tensions that can lead to waves of uncertainty and fear which can cause policies that are sinful in nature and structures of sin in our institutions. These waves crash on the shores of our society and make their presence known, but people tend to accept the tide for … Continue reading Girard’s “Scapegoating” by William Klein
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