The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had...
The Gospel as an Impossible Possibility
posted by DJL
In the gospel reading appointed for this Sunday, Jesus is accused of being demon-possessed. In an article I wrote on that passage, I wondered whether the gospel always sounds a little crazy to those who first hear it…or maybe just to those who take it seriously. That is, the more seriously you take the gospel, the more crazy, or outlandish, or impossible, or even possessed, it sounds. And I kind of think that’s the way it has to be simply because what’s sane, normal, everyday, and expected doesn’t, I think, have the power to transform us, let alone save us. By way of illustration: near the beginning of his lengthy...
Mark 5:9-17
posted by DJL
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us...
To My Favorite 17-Ye...
posted by DJL
I don’t know what made me think of this poem today. Perhaps it’s that we’re moving into the days of high school graduations, when 17 and 18 year-olds venture out into the world ready to seek out a job, serve their country, or venture into the territory of higher education, or...
Making Bread
posted by DJL
Different filmmaker and different subject, but the same idea. And for those who are interested in, but perhaps daunted by the prospect of, making bread, one of the books I’ve enjoyed and found helpful is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking....