As a person who is influenced by many faith traditions, I find great inspiration in the late Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Hanh was a Buddhist monk, a spiritual mentor, a poet, and a peace activist. He was a strong…
Year: 2022
A New Partnership with Church of the Covenant
You might call it an opportune time, a kairos moment, or perhaps the universe working things out at the right time in history. But regardless, I am excited to share a new, unique, and mutually beneficial partnership between the University…
Non-Traditional Gratitude
We are the fall semester students of Religion 115: Green Spirituality for Lifelong Wellness led by Dr. Amy Merrill Willis. This class focuses on the connection between the environment and humanity. During the semester, we have been reading Braiding Sweetgrass…
Lessons from Snidow
There are a couple of copies of a small red book in our office. It has an image of Snidow Chapel on the cover. Not too long ago, I finally decided to take it off the shelf and read it.…
I Contain Multitudes
Part of the ritual of meeting people for the first time is to share what I do for a living. I’ll say something like, “I teach at the University of Lynchburg” or “I teach philosophy and religious studies.” Typically I…
Lighting the Flame of Community
Before going to college, I moved around a lot and didn’t feel like I had a solid group to call my community. The University of Lynchburg has become like home to me, and a big reason for that is our…
The Gift of Religious Diversity
Last week, the Jewish Community hosted its annual “Pizza in the Hut” to celebrate Sukkot. This holiday commemorates one of the three festivals which Jewish people acknowledge as a commandment to make a pilgrimage to the Jerusalem Temple. The holiday…
Each morning, I sit in silence before I begin my day. Sometimes, I recite a Hindu mantra. Sometimes, I simply envision the faces of people I love. This is my way of grounding myself before my day begins. On the…
The Power of Oneness
I always loved it when the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh would talk about Buddha and Jesus. His passion for interfaith dialogue would be on display. Personally, I find inspiration in many paths to Oneness, and I am greatly inspired…
Not Theology, But Theologies
Throughout seminary, I spent way too many hours trying to study, converse, debate, and understand theology. To be honest, I don’t think I did very well and I know that through all my studies I only scratched the surface of…
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