Photography
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Burn Hot
"What is to give light, must endure burning," wrote Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl. Greatly humbled by the context of this quote, I none-the-less suggest that it does fit, here and now, for many of us. When we are called to… Continue reading
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Stripping
Oh, you of the sacred plaid,and you of the holy stripes,you of the divine argyles and polka dots,you pinstripe believers and houndstooth congregants…it's time to strip clean. Leave your garments beside the door;exit your particular, peculiar house of worship. Out… Continue reading
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The Mystery in the Mundane
In my writing and in my photography, I want to reveal the mystery in the mundane, the transcendent in the every day. I want others to say, with me, "Wow! I never saw it like that," or, at least, "Hmmm…" To… Continue reading
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Core Word #6: Wonder
I never want to lose my sense of wonder: an infant's impossibly tiny, swirl-tipped fingers; hand-in-hand fireworks over a visionary, hope-filled land; colored lights glowing in a tree laden with history and promise; sweet agony and triumph in Beethoven's 5th; a heart-popping poem by Mary… Continue reading
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Core Word #5: Paradox
My dad once owned a sailboat with another physician. They named her Paradox. Get it? I appreciated the pun then, and I appreciate the concept now. Paradox means holding two opposing, contradictory points as equally true. If you need everything… Continue reading
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Core Word #4: Mystery
Mystery runs a close second to stillness in my list of favorite words In liturgical Christian churches, worshipers each week gather to proclaim "the mystery of our faith": Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ shall come again. The mystery… Continue reading
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Core Word #3: Expansion
As I've grown spiritually (and I do think of it as growth, though maybe it's change, or evolution, or devolution–in any case, because it gets better and better, I experience it as growth), it feels, even when I'm letting go… Continue reading
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Core Word #2: Innocence
Innocence means welcoming the world with open eyes, open hands and an open heart. It means seeing with childlike eyes. Innocence makes it possible to experience life's good gifts each day as if for the first time. Innocence means starting… Continue reading
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Core Word #1: Stillness
Just saying, hearing or reading the word stillness quiets me. I'd say I strive for stillness, but that's a contradiction. Stillness isn't something you go after, but something that descends on you when you stop striving or going after. To… Continue reading
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The Words I Love
In the movie Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the title character, anticipating her demise (at the stake), tearfully tells her friends: "When I'm gone, I want to be remembered with two simple words…(pause)…any two words, as long as they're simple."… Continue reading