Suffering and Hope in the Tipi and the Cathedral
I don’t know if this story is true, if I dreamt it or wished it into being. But I know the imagery arose during a conversation with my son, Caleb, about the rough patch ahead in his quest to be free o...
The Life and Death Struggle to Belong
“I don’t feel like I belong.” It has taken me a long time to appreciate the power of that statement of Caleb’s. For many years, I downplayed the volcanic power of this cry because I confused...
The Quest to Belong (Caleb)
I grew up extremely curious but cautious. I did not have very many places to really see or experience native culture, or at least First Nations culture on the prairies. A lot of the art and expe...
Conquering the Limits of Willpower
“Shake it off,” we tell our grandchildren when they fall. When the kids were of pre-school age the words of encouragement were “You’re doing it, you’re doing it”. Our exhortations mean to convey ...
People Back Home (Caleb)
Last week I was given the opportunity to express my needs to a group of elders, lawyers and a judge. I’m very thankful for that opportunity and am even more grateful for the feeling that my voice...
Rescuing Judgment from Judgementalism
I am sitting in the judgment seat at the gate at the entrance to the ancient city of Dan. The tradition goes back thousands of years. The king would go to the gate of the city and there decide wh...
Why I Am Still Doing This
Seven years ago my wife spotted a trip to the Holy Land that was within our price range. Since the journey was high on her bucket list, we increased the cash flow of MasterCard and signed on. The...
The Amazing Revelation of the Iceberg Quality of Life
I thought I would know a lot more by the time I reached this age. Now, I believe age 28 marked the high-water mark of what I knew for sure - or thought I did. Of course, that was before chil...
One Moral Choice that Can Change Your Life
The incident was not the prime focus of the conversation, but it did come up. Martin, one of the security guards at the condo complex in Rosarito, had the side window on his car smashed. He was a...
Walls – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Pass through the San Ysidro border crossing outside of Tijuana, turn west and follow Mexican Route 1D towards Rosarito. Look out the passenger window. A wall runs along the border; actually, two walls...