Meditations 4 Misfits

In this podcast we reflect on the message of John the Baptist as recorded in St. Luke’s Gospel, chapter 3:1-6. In our consideration of these words, we run into religion’s dirty little secret. “If you have forgiven yourself for being imperfect and falling, you can now do it for just about everybody else.” – Richard Rohr 

This reflection explores an apocalyptic saying of Jesus found in St. Luke’s Gospel, 21:25-26. Apocalyptic is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE). But as the poet Christian Wiman reminds us, “The revelation we need is not ultimate but intimate.” 

This podcast offers a reflection for the Christian Feast of Christ the King. As we consider what kind of King Jesus is, and what his Kingdom might be like, we are confronted with our concepts of real power. “This is the mystery of love. Power kills. Weakness creates.” – Henri Nouwen 

In this reflection we follow up on a theme introduced in last week’s reading from Hebrews 11 and consider what it means to feel like “exiles.” Our passage this week is Psalm 137, a very dark psalm, in fact it is a song of lament. “The true Good News is that God works in bad news.” – Robert Farrar Capon 

In this meditation based on the Letter to the Hebrews, Chapter 11, we consider the impact others have on shaping who we are and who we become. When asked what the inspiration for his unique approach to sculpting was, Michelangelo stated that he looked to find the beauty already inside the stone, and he wanted to set it free. His work with chisel and hammer was one of liberation. He didn’t create masterpieces—he set them free.

This meditation is based on the words of Jesus found in the Gospel of Mark 10:35-45, where Jesus shares with his friends the criteria for greatness. “It is standing in the world with head erect, solidly rooted in the knowledge of who we are, facing the reality that surrounds us, and responding to it from our hearts.” – Henri Nouwen