I know some monks who are excellent storytellers. They tend not to tell stories like the rest of us. People with corporations and nonprofit groups do not describe them the way monks describe their monasteries. I have never heard a monk say anything like, “Hello. My name is Brother Boniface and I am a monk.” […]
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There are people who believe hope is unrealistic, maybe even the opposite of realistic. Some people are convinced we need to face the bleakness of our prospects in all their stark darkness. They focus their attention on the obstacles we must overcome, the challenges threatening to hold us back. Some of us are committed to doing
There are people who seem to believe spiritual life is about being perfect. Some people work hard to keep their imperfections concealed, hidden from the rest of us. Some of us believe it is important for us to appear perfect, or at least exceed expectations. They think they look less spiritual the further they are from perfection.
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There are people who see monastic life as being all about following rules. The thing which makes Benedictine monks Benedictine is following Benedict’s Rule. They make lifelong vows to renounce certain actions and ways of behaving. It can appear that monastic life is focused on giving things up, committing not to do things. It almost feels
It is difficult for some of us to remember to practice compassion. Some of us live in a world which tends to forget compassion. Our focus may be on getting more, more money or more security or more accomplishments. Our lives seem to be built on the immediacy of acquiring what we think we need or
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It can be easy to lose track of the difference between being persistent and being stubborn. There are people I know who believe they are persistent when they are being stubborn. I have known a few monks who were stubborn, but more who are persistent. Stubbornness is about holding out against all opposition or obstacles. Being stubborn
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Stillness seems to be one of the most challenging, and one of the last, things we want to practice. We hear people say, “We can rest when we are dead.” We have created a society which values action, demands results, thrives on people who make noise. We celebrate people who are adept at drawing attention to themselves,
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There are people who see monastic life as escaping, as running away from real life. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of intentionally losing touch wth immediacy and practicality. They get a little itchy thinking about even a few hours without Internet access. Some people believe monastic life is choosing not to meet our responsibilities
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People like to think spiritual life is a source of security, a place to go back to when we are stressed. We expect spiritual life to be like a comfortable blanket or a stuffed toy that makes us feel safe. We want spiritual life to be understandable, to reassure us, to make us feel better.
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We live in a society where we are defined by what we own. The automobiles we drive, the computers we use, the food we eat tell us who we are. The clothes we wear tell other people about the teams, athletic and corporate, we support. Our property tells people, including ourselves, who we are. One of the
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