Drought and redemption – The Lessons of Global Warming

 

“And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” (Isaiah 58:11)

October 2010 to July 2011 was the driest of any 10-month period on record for Texas. Scorching heat, wildfires, crops destroyed, cattle herds relocated seem to be the new norm for the Lone Star state. But we are not the only ones suffering this, Asia, Africa are also experiencing similar weather patterns, bringing millions to the brink of starvation.

Who is to blame? Some say the global warming, others argue that is a natural variation of… Continue reading

Ferdinand and the ragging bull

Reading the news can be a source of inspiration and sometimes even an enlightening experience. For instance a recent news flash from Spain, about a bull that jumped 10 yards into the audience of a Spanish bullring injuring 40 people, curiously made me think that life, in a way, is like a bullfight, a “corrida de toros”.  Many times we know how dangerous or harmful some things may be to us, yet, we keep doing them or we resolve to enjoy them from the audience, with the illusion of safety.

Getting involved in something however, even from a distance, still counts as participation and inherits all the risks associated. Even if we openly avoid doing certain things that… Continue reading

Fasting and the revelation of our shortcomings

VeggiesMost of the Orthodox people have a hard time fasting. Every beginner realizes sooner rather than later that fasting is difficult, and the discipline of the stomach is not easy to master.

The struggle of fast has however another curious secondary effect: the amplification of all our other shortcomings. When we fail in fasting we feel guilty and unworthy. Continue reading