The 60-Second Sabbath

where spirit and image merge

Dirk deVries

Latest Posts

  • Every Bomb Exploded

    Every bomb exploded (no matter who drops it), every bullet fired (no matter who pulls the trigger), every fist raised in anger (no matter who's been threatened), every cruel, hurtful act or word is an attack on God and God's… Continue reading

  • Ground Rules

    Ground rules: I'm never as right as I think I am. My perception is always clouded. No matter how dramatically and convincingly I'm prepared to state my case, I shouldn't. In cases where I'm convinced I'm innocent and it's all… Continue reading

  • It’s Only My Opinion

    We'd all be much healthier if every one of us-from family members to political and religious leaders-would preface everything we say with: "This is what I believe, but as surely as I assert this, I acknowledge that I'm a limited,… Continue reading

  • Beyond Dualism

    Eastern religions are not falsely dualistic. Western religions (including Christianity, Judaism and Islam) all incorporated Western ways of organization and categorization, which for the most part, run counter to the founding principles of these faiths: individualism prevailed over community, the… Continue reading

  • Hot Blessings

    In A Diary of Readings, Thomas Fuller uses the pairing of the words hot and blessing,which, written in the 17th century, meant "hot" as in "fresh" (like freshly baked, not stale). But I like the contemporary juxtaposition of the two… Continue reading

  • He Cradled the Cat

    He cradled the cat in both arms. She was the swirled colors of autumn, eyes now closed, head resting on his shoulder. She rose and fell gently with his breath. "This is how, one day, I'd like to die," he… Continue reading

  • Righteous Anger?

     There's no such thing as "righteous anger." Anger destroys your clarity of vision. Angry people aren't elders or wise leaders, because what they give is anger, not insight or compassion. Yes, it's healthy to identify the injustices of the world.… Continue reading

  • $5 Quotes

    I wish I could remember all of the great quotes I come across in listening and reading.I could be seen as much cleverer than I actually am. The wise me writes them down–or at least flags  them–to stumble across later, It's like finding… Continue reading

  • Divinity

    The divine can be found everywhere and anywhere. It's not hiding. It's obvious–glaringly obvious. It's plain. It stares at me, wide-eyed in astonishment that I–somehow, amazingly–cannot, do not see it. Reality shouts. God speaks loudly and decisively in my face,… Continue reading

  • The Madness of Love

    I understand (in my own way, at least) something of the "madness of love," the inexplicable, irrational force of love, which continues, without apparent purpose or source, to drive us toward something–justice, for example, or growth, wholeness, connection. The madness… Continue reading