“Nothing distinguishes more clearly the disciples of Christ than a humble spirit and a simple way of life.” Hesychios of Mount Sinai who lived in the eight or ninth century, from Volume 1 of the Philokalia. Hesychios wrote this living in the desert of Mount Sinai. What would he say…
I have received some heartbreaking messages lately and a few reminded me of my own darkness. I wrote the following poem when I was certain my life would end at the barrel of a gun pointed by myself. Faith seemed like a joke. I didn’t realize it then, but the struggle…
When I speak, we take a journey. Almost regardless of the event and the title of my talk, it will be a journey of identity and purpose. A journey whose path will include a cold, hard look in the mirror. As we roll towards the end of the talk, the hammer begins…
The spirit of dreaming, a short tale: We are down to our last drop of water and the desert floor is a furnace beneath our feet. We’ve been traveling together for weeks, encouraging each other, lifting each other, fighting the growing desire to quit and succumb to nature. Together, we keep…
I get messages like the following and they floor me. Every time. I wrote the poem this young man references when I could barely leave my bedroom and was completely consumed by pain, anger, and despair. At it’s worse, PTSD makes you feel like garbage. The idea that I’d soon…
“Forgive and pray, in order to live your life serenely.” From the writings of Saint Raphael by Dr. Constantine Cavarnos Powerful words. But hard words. A drunk driver kills your daughter, a son dies fighting a confusing war in a foreign land, you cheat on your wife, you secretly take…
