“How Do You Know If Someone Is Enlightened?”

            Huston Smith has been a guiding light in my life.              I first encountered him in the 80s. I was teaching comparative religion in a small college and used his book, The Religions of the World, which students from diverse backgrounds always found engaging. In 1996, PBS broadcast a series of interviews of Huston with Bill Moyers, TheContinue reading ““How Do You Know If Someone Is Enlightened?””

Child’s Play

            This past Monday, I was driving past our neighborhood school at lunch time and saw something I had not seen in a year: children playing.  Outdoors. On the school property. Lots of them.  On their own. They were chasing balls and chasing each other. Some were sitting in pairs on the grass, some were walking around onContinue reading “Child’s Play”

“Six Things That Matter Most” — A List for All Seasons

            There often comes a time when a family is told their loved one has just a few hours or days left before dying.  It can be an agonizing time of not knowing what to do other than wait.   The loved one may still be able to communicate or, more often, is sleeping much of time.  What do youContinue reading ““Six Things That Matter Most” — A List for All Seasons”

Here’s Looking at You

               This week I want to share a personal reflection on art, motivated by a recent article in the New Yorker. Take a minute to look at – and into – this person’s eyes.      He died 351 years ago.What do you see?               (Seriously. Take a minute. It’s worth it.)             First, a little personal background.  I did notContinue reading “Here’s Looking at You”

Your Purpose Is More Important Than Your Plan

 It seems some people follow a straight, well-planned path in life: they set goals and expectations day after day, year after year — and achieve them.  But for most of us, events can disrupt our plans.  It could be something affecting only me, or something like COVID that impacts everyone. We can be left with feelings ofContinue reading “Your Purpose Is More Important Than Your Plan”

When Compassion Isn’t Enough

As part of my work at Hospice of Santa Barbara, a group of us attended a week-long retreat at the Metta Institute in Marin County. The theme was “Cultivating Presence” and led by Frank Ostateski, an accomplished teacher of both Zen meditation and hospice care.             In one of his talks, Frank focused on the traditionalContinue reading “When Compassion Isn’t Enough”

What Jonas Salk Learned from Spilled Milk

         Years ago, after a junior high teacher in my congregation returned from an education conference, I asked if she’d learned anything memorable. She responded with a story she’d heard about Jonas Salk, the legendary scientist who created the polio vaccine.  As the story goes, someone asked Salk what helped him become successful.  He gave credit to hisContinue reading “What Jonas Salk Learned from Spilled Milk”

What to do with a prize salmon?

What to do with a prize salmon?  The second congregation I served was in Wapato, Washington – a town of 3,000 with an 85% poverty rate. George Palmer was retired and drove an older white pick-up truck. An experienced tradesman, he liked to go around town and do household repairs for people who could not affordContinue reading “What to do with a prize salmon?”

Siddhartha Visits a Nursing Home

      As a pastor, hospice worker, and someone who was involved in the long-term care of my father and mother-in-law, I have walked through the door of nursing homes many times.  At one point I realized the thoughts and feelings I (and many people) experience are something we share with that of Siddhartha Gautama before he becameContinue reading “Siddhartha Visits a Nursing Home”