The 60-Second Sabbath

Religion

  • Isaiah and the “Savior”

    Isaiahrefers to God as "Savior"nearly as often as does the New Testament.But as "Savior,"God liberates from oppression,leads the exiled home,heals the sick–and not in some unknown future afterlife,but here and now,in this world and this time. In our world and… Continue reading

  • The Cloak of Cultural Convention

    Christians have alwayswrapped themselvesin the cloak of cultural convention: When the culture wore the coat of slavery,the church wore the coat of slavery. When the culture wore the coat of segregation,the church wore the coat of segregation. When the culture… Continue reading

  • If You Seek

    If you seek a God of vengeance and violence,you will find your God in the Bible.If you seek a God of compassion and love,you will find your God in the Bible.In fact,the history of Christianitytells the story of the battlebetween… Continue reading

  • I AM

    I AM He.I AM She.I AM It.I AM All. We are He.We are She.We are It.We are All. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.    Continue reading

  • That Which Is Next

    That which is next for youlurks around the corner,ready to pounce.You can hide, resist, fight–but it sill comes:illness, unemployment, conflict, loneliness. Or you could say,"That which is next–I'm ready to greet you.We will be companions.I may not best you,but I… Continue reading

  • The Pastor Drones On

    The pastor drones onabout Lot's wifeturned into a pillar of salt. A blessing, I say,compared to sitting through this endless sermon. Around me,the dozing congregationdreams of salty snacks–pretzels, chips, peanuts and Pringles. Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries.… Continue reading

  • May I Remind You

    May I remind you,we love each other. It's why we were created.It's in our DNA.Try as we might to the contrary–and we sometimes try awfully hard–we love each other.  Deep down,where God resides,we love each other. Text and image © 2011… Continue reading

  • Stay Away from the Edge!

    Stay away from the edge!Don't play with matches!Get down from there!Leave that knife alone! Terrible advice for the soul. When we fall, we break open.When cut, fresh blood surfaces.When we burn, we release sweet incense. Dance along the rim.Let the… Continue reading

  • Getting It

    If the disciples didn't get it(and most of the time they did not),is it any surprise we don't either? Let's give ourselves a break,not giving up on the journey,but walking side by sidewith ever increasing humility and patience.  Text and… Continue reading

  • We Return from the Mountain

    We return from the mountain,faces glowingdesperate to describeour encounter with Mystery,but the words for which we reach elude us,don't yet exist–not in English,not in any human tongue. We try:"It's painful but welcome purging," we say."It's corrosive but compassionate reframing…" See? Even these words,like… Continue reading