Depression We can learn a lot about happiness from folk tales. You may know the one from Italy, “The Happy Man’s Shirt.” In it, a king’s son suffers from sadness. He lies in bed all day, stares out the window. He sighs, he won’t eat, he barely talks. Concerned, the king tries to cheer up his son with games, jokes, parties, and tournaments. It doesn’t work. “What’s the matter with you?” the king asks. “Are you in love with someone who does not love you back?” No, the boy is not in love, nor is he physically sick, though he grows thin and weak, and the king is afraid he’ll…
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Fathers and Forgiveness
Forgiveness and Coming Home While I was looking for readings about fathers for this Sunday’s Recovery Church service, I re-read the chapter on “Father” in Henry Nouwen’s book The Return of the Prodigal Son. The book is an in-depth examination of Rembrandt’s “Prodigal Son” painting. The Bible story that prompted the painting is about rejection, addiction, and jealousy; it is also about homecoming, acceptance, and eternal love. As Nouwen explores the nuances and depths of both the parable and the painting, he addresses these issues and more, including a discussion about forgiveness. Ah, yes, forgiveness. Fathers and forgiveness seem to go together. Not necessarily because our earthly fathers are so…
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The Gift of Generosity
To Give When We Have Little Years ago, when my boys were small, our bank put up a Christmas tree with paper ornaments on which were written children’s names, ages, and the gift they wished for. Each year, I would take one of those ornaments. Money was tight back then, so I looked for a small gift, one I could get for under ten dollars. One year, my son told me I shouldn’t do that. “If you leave it for someone with more money, they’ll buy a better gift.” I hesitated. What he said made sense to me, and I was aware of a hint of shame and unworthiness poking…
