Faith begins precisely where thinking leaves off. – Soren Kierkegaard[i] One day, during a discussion about religion in a sociology class, I irritated a student. While writing on a whiteboard, with my back turned to the room, I casually mentioned there was no proof that God exists. Immediately, a voice behind me yelled out, “That’s... Continue Reading →
Pretending To Be Human
When things get tense, when I start taking my work a bit too seriously, I remind myself that I’m only pretending to be a human being. -Alan Arkin[1] My first job in the substance abuse field was as an off-hours counselor in a twenty-eight-day alcohol rehab. I supervised residents through the weekend hours when there... Continue Reading →
What Belongs To Us
When I worked in substance abuse counseling, I quickly learned the difficulties involved. People in early recovery can be grumpy, horny, enjoy power struggles, and frequently fail to make it beyond the word “early.” In my five years as a counselor in an outpatient clinic, I saw one client three different times. On his fourth... Continue Reading →
Seasonally Speaking
For everything there is a season and a time for everything under heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3:1 My back has gotten cranky. It’s stiff when I get up in the morning and doesn’t like me to slouch, which is my favorite position. That’s all I’m going to say about it, since I promised myself I wouldn’t... Continue Reading →
Relatively Important Stuff
I thought about all that I achieved, and all the work put into its achievement. What vanity it all was, what chasing after the wind! There is nothing to be gained under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 2:11 Lesson: In the large scheme of things, nothing we do matters very much. Importance is a matter of... Continue Reading →