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Life Emerging Out Of What Had Seemed Dead
The following is adapted from Kathleen Norris’ Acedia & Me, a chronicle of her battle with acedia. I’ve left most of that story out but have tried to focus on the literary and historical references...
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From Eight Bad Thoughts to Seven Sins
Naming the Demon The era of the desert fathers and mothers was no less complex than our own — the fourth-century Mediterranean was in great political and social turmoil — but monks such as Evagrius...
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Learning To Dwell In This Desert
Early in his life, van Gogh was a devout Christian and wanted to become involved in religion for his profession. He became a lay preacher and afterwards strived to become a painter of the working...
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Sloth
When it comes to the deadly sins, there is something more to the one called sloth than meets the eye. It is more than just simple inactivity or even laziness. The ancients called it “accidia” and the...
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Reading Selections from Depression’s Upside by Jonah Lehrer
Jonah Lehrer’s Depression’s Upside was recently featured in the NY Times magazine (Feb 28, 2010). As someone who has extensively quoted Kathleen Norris’ Acedia & Me that suggests the same...
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The Bright Sadness Of Lent
The theme chosen for Lent was "Where is Christ in the Desert of Your Life?" The stark setting included rocks of the desert painted cream to match the walls, a barren bush, water jug, and black fabric,...
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