Living with my grandparents for six years was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. Life with them was quite structured, but full of what I needed and all the kindness they had to give. In the years since, I’ve thought a lot about multigenerational communities and what it takes to do them well. I […]
Repenting to create
“Creativity,” Robert Greene once wrote, “is a combination of discipline and a childlike spirit.” It’s also about the ability to let go and start again, and again, and again. I re-read Anne Lamott’s thoughts on repentance, writing, and graceless perfectionism recently. As I’ve reminded myself, learning requires room for error, but the drive toward perfectionism makes […]
The mechanics of an oppressive society
Walter Brueggemann explains in The Prophetic Imagination some of the ways that King Solomon’s reign returned the Israelites to the oppressive culture they’d once experienced under the Egyptians. The top three tools are the “economics of affluence,” the “politics of oppression,” and the “establishment of a controlled, static religion.” According to Brueggemann, Solomon’s regime used these three cultural elements together to […]
Take a side
The prophets take a side. In The Prophetic Imagination, Walter Brueggemann explains how the ancient Hebrew prophets diverged from the imperial courts of Pharaoh and the royal courts of the later Israelite kings. As well as imagining new ways for society to take shape, he says, the prophets took sides. They were partisan because their […]
Becoming a modern patron
The artists who made the Renaissance the Renaissance were well-funded by European merchants and city rulers who’d made their fortunes through war, commerce, and taxes. Today, it doesn’t take multi-generational assets to become a patron. Anyone with a few dollars can support good art now. And there’s a new opportunity to help. Filmmaker Leslie Foster […]
Don’t shut down
New opportunities present themselves at every stage of life. Approach the aging process with courage and hope. Honor that which you have been, welcoming new possibilities for wisdom, objectivity, and greater knowledge of the Spirit. Realize that as time passes, new ways of receiving and reflecting God’s love will open.” —Intermountain Yearly Meeting of the […]
