by Mark Beckwith | Oct 11, 2022 | Guidance, Inspiration
In the early rituals of Yom Kippur, (which the Jewish family observed last week on October 5) a goat was presented to the high priest in the holy of holies. On the goat’s flanks were written the sins of the community – all sorts of scurrilous and cruel thoughts and...
by Mark Beckwith | Aug 31, 2022 | Guidance
Is it personal, or is it private? That is an important distinction, which I remember being carefully outlined in the community organizing training I received over thirty years ago. It was suggested that we can freely, or at least carefully, share personal information...
by Mark Beckwith | Jul 24, 2022 | Guidance
When I lived in Japan for two years after college, I became a serious student of Zen Buddhism. I studied, I practiced sitting zazen, I learned a martial art. At one point I thought I would become a Buddhist, but an odd and unexpected thing happened: the more I...
by Mark Beckwith | May 16, 2022 | Dealing With Difference, Guidance
Many years ago I did a weeklong retreat at the Taize Community in southern France. Known for its captivating chants, the ecumenical monastic compound attracts thousands of people each week from all over the world. The community hosts three services a day, mostly...
by Mark Beckwith | Apr 11, 2022 | Guidance
Much of the Christian world observed Palm Sunday yesterday, which involved reenacting the emotionally wrenching Passion story, which outlines the events leading to Jesus’ crucifixion. There are several parts to the story. The first is the triumphal entry: Jesus is...
by Mark Beckwith | Apr 4, 2022 | Dealing With Difference, Guidance
In 2009 journalist Bill Bishop wrote a compelling book, The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart. He makes the case that over the past several decades people have been living, working, worshipping, recreating, and vacationing in...
