A Quiet Stillness A few weeks ago, I wrote about the stillness that allows us to truly listen, whether to another person, to God, or to our own inner voice. That kind of stillness is like a presence, a waiting, an openness to something that is not us or is not currently known by us. In such quietness, we can hear what is said and what is left unsaid. In this way, we deepen relationships. But this kind of stillness takes time. That wasn’t hard to come by when I was a child. Then, the days felt wide and limitless. Often I would lie on my stomach on the rock…
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Wisdom to Know the Difference
Wisdom and Peace We were at the prison, leading the Recovery Church circle, when the question came up, “What do you want in life?” The young man to my right had shown himself to be inquisitive, seeking information and knowledge, asking questions, eager for education, appreciating debate. I wondered aloud if he wanted wisdom. “No,” he said, with a laugh. “I’m wise enough.” But of course. Wisdom is too often hard won. He had been through a violent childhood, betrayals and loneliness, a chronic illness, and years of incarceration. Through it all, he had come to understand much about himself, the world, and that which sustains us and tears us apart.…
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Changing What We Can
God Grant Me This is the second installment of our exploration of Reinhold Niebuhr’s “Serenity Prayer,” part of which is recited in many twelve-step groups: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Today we will explore the courage to change. Before we can change things, whether they exist within us or in the world around us, we must be brave enough to acknowledge the problem. Only then can we something about it. Yet is it so hard to accept that change is necessary? As I glance at the morning newspaper and…