A high lonesome psalm
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A high lonesome psalm

For a few brief months, Lake Haiyaha in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park burned an arctic blue, made green and glowing by glacial flour. The sediment, finer than sand, results from rock slides and turns the water milky turquoise. Above Lake Haiyaha, at 10,000 feet, lies Chaos Canyon — a steep mountainside gully created by…

Whose side are you on in this war, Jesus?
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Whose side are you on in this war, Jesus?

Whose side are you on, Jesus? I ask, as he sits down across from me. I have been reading the latest news about Israel and Palestine, trying to avoid the pictures.  Haven’t you seen any of the interviews I’ve given this week?, he retorts, wincing visibly. I immediately feel bad. Usually Jesus appreciates my sense…

Father Greg Boyle: Staying with the God of Love
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Father Greg Boyle: Staying with the God of Love

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Episode 65 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Email | RSS | More IN THIS EPISODE: In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Fr. Greg Boyle, director of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, CA. They discuss Fr. Greg’s journey into being a Jesuit priest who…

Resisting violence in our skies and museums
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Resisting violence in our skies and museums

On a bright Sunday afternoon last month, my friend Ashley and I went to an “anti-militarist field day” outside the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It was organized by a group of recent college grads and was part of the Boeing Arms Genocide campaign. My desire to learn about anti-war efforts like these…

A long journey to healing, justice
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A long journey to healing, justice

Having slid in a few minutes late, I sat in the last row of the courtroom. I had only been in a courtroom one other time since my husband’s immigration court appearance. Neither were particularly positive experiences. Court proceedings are dry, confusing and surreal. Jargon and formalities make it feel like a scene in a…

Hoverboards, driving lessons, friendships and the common good
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Hoverboards, driving lessons, friendships and the common good

The sun was setting as we wrapped up a delicious meal at a local park with some new family friends. A couple of the youngest daughters from the Ahmed family walked slowly by the side of my daughter, JoyAna, on her first attempt at riding a hoverboard. JoyAna’s body was shaking, her knees bent, as…