Author Archives: watchwordsblog

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. Desmond Tutu Meditation: When we look at the darkness of our times: the hate, the apathy, the greed and the abuse of power, we could lose hope. And sometimes worst case scenarios cross our minds when we feel discouraged. ThenContinue reading “What Is Hope?…”

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. Washington Irving Meditation: People are weeping. They have lost loved ones. Hundreds were killed in recent naturalContinue reading “There Is Sacredness in Tears…”

We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. Carl Jung Meditation: It is interesting how many Christian churches operate from a condemnation model in order to change people to how the leaders of the church think people need to change, behave or be. Often these leaders were raised withContinue reading “When Is a Church No Longer Christian?…”

The Iraq War was the biggest issue for people of my generation in the West. It was also the clearest case, in my living memory, of media manipulation and the creation of a war through ignorance. Julian Assange Meditation: Chaos describes the current state of our federal government, and chaos and manipulative distraction is also what itContinue reading “The Creation of Violence and Wars…”

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from. Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross Meditation: Sometimes life seems so random. Sometimes there are challenging times in life the meaning of which we cannot see untilContinue reading “All Things Work Together For Good…”

If our religion is based on salvation, our chief emotions will be fear and trembling. If our religion is based on wonder, our chief emotion will be gratitude. Carl Jung Meditation: If we begin our thinking with the idea that “we are all sinners” and need salvation, we will probably be good Lutherans or Baptists,Continue reading “Religion of Salvation or of Wonder?…”

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. Jean Houston Meditation: Loving is a powerful experience. As we attach to a certain person, a certain place or a certain time in our life, we are being changed forever. As we experience true love, weContinue reading “Love Can Never Be Lost…”

Things are not as we would like them to be. There is only one way to deal with it, namely to try and be all right oneself. Anna Freud Meditation: In a time like this where so many things in this world do not work according to our values, according to our sense of justiceContinue reading “Jesus Living In Us?…”

An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language. Martin Buber Meditation: Our animals can be a source of great comfort to us, especially in times of distress and loneliness. Their eyes speak a language that only our own soul can understand. Martin Buber’s concept of the deep “I – Thou” relationship betweenContinue reading “An Animal’s Eyes…”

Nationalism is our form of incest, is our idolatry, is our insanity. “Patriotism” is its cult…Just as love for one individual which excludes the love for others is not love, love for one’s country which is not part of one’s love for humanity is not love, but idolatrous worship. Erich Fromm Meditation: When we experienceContinue reading “Nationalism Is Our Insanity…”