spiritual insights on religion, social justice and comparative theology
I read that Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S. J. did a twist on Descartes’s epistemological maxim, “I think therefore I am.” He said, “I love therefore I am.” My research indicates the quote may be attributed to an unknown author. Whatever the case may be, it’s a thought for the ages. It’s a tough one to live by, … Continue reading “I Love Therefore I Am” by William Klein
Alzheimer’s caregivers share an uphill battle with their loved ones who suffer from the disease that can rattle the insides and penetrate deep aches and sadness of playing a role they are not prepared to play. My niece works for the Alzheimer’s association and worked helplines assisting caregivers by answering questions and guiding them through … Continue reading Finding Home by William Klein
We are all wandering in the desert, seeking the “Promised Land” foraging for food. Scripture tells us “We cannot live on yesterday’s manna. We have to replenish our spiritual manna daily.” So, I guess the quest to find the tiny crumbs from the dew on plants continues, and I gather enough crumbs of knowledge to … Continue reading Religion and the Road to Oneness by William Klein
Sometimes I think humanity is nothing more than baboons dressed appropriately. Anyone who has battled traffic on the 405 in LA or another big city would concur with this statement, but there are other ways of seeing it. The Egyptians thought so much of the baboon archetype that they made it one of their gods. … Continue reading Baboons Dressed Appropriately by William Klein
There are no words for a challenging week of desperate headlines. These last few weeks seem like the end in so many ways. War in Ukraine, earthquakes in Armenia, war in Israel, suffering in the Sudan, unforeseen hurricanes and tornados in literal and figurative ways. My fundamentalist friends say, “This is what the Bible says … Continue reading Work To Be Done by William Klein
In his Sermon XII, Meister Eckhart relates the idea of purity of love. He delves deeper into these origins through Jesus’ claim that this is foundational to our being. He opens his sermon with the following: “HOC EST PRAECEPTUM MEUM, UT DILIGATIS INVICEM SICUT DILEXI VOS(John 15:12ff.) I have quoted three words in Latin from the … Continue reading Bearing Witness to the Divine Origins of Love by William Klein
We are stuck in a battle of wills; our will to succeed, our will to survive, our will to thrive, and, in the midst of this struggle, we purport to be the sum total of our tangled yarn of thoughts and emotions. Our attachment to the outcomes of our actions sometimes brings with it more anxiety, … Continue reading Our Tangled Yarn of Thoughts and Emotions by William Klein
There’s a great song by REM about oppression called “Fall on Me.” Michael Stipe sings about the sky falling and world collapsing on the character in the song as a result of being born in the wrong place, in the wrong class with the wrong set of circumstances. In an interview Stipe talks about the … Continue reading The Psychology of Oppression by William Klein
I visited my friends who have a house in Old Forge, New York. There is a moderately tough climb on Bald Mountain to the fire station where lookouts watched for fires in a tall steel structure back in the day. My buddy, Jim, has walked it numerous times and had no problems while my older … Continue reading The Lesson on the Path by William Klein
Sometimes the lessons in life flood in literally and figuratively, so we don’t miss the point. I was getting ready for a trip to Buffalo, had just finished cutting the grass and was making dinner. I beat the rain and it came down in buckets; so much so that my sister Susie was inundated with … Continue reading The Deluge and Receding Waters by William Klein
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