Posts in Spirituality

Finding one of his heroes at a quiet, Saturday morning mass spurs Joe Simmons’ thoughts on friendship, imagination and spiritual equality.

I did not call up my formerly-very-good-friends because I was more or less paralyzed by one question: how long is too long before giving up hope of reconnecting?

Too often, in the name of efficiency or convenience, we avoid the costs of intimacy, and in doing so we pay a steep price. But what we buy is freedom from the pain of intimacy, not an actual experience of it.

Is Pope Francis lowering the bar for believers by saying that even atheists are redeemed? Joe Simmons takes stock of the fearful answers given by the indignant voices inside us.

Yes, she was asking about regulations and rules. But as I sat with it, I realized that she was really asking about how she and her family could be with God.

We confuse ourselves into thinking that we make the world go ‘round, and in this confusion we run ourselves into the ground while life springs forth without our doing anything at all. It just happens.

A few weeks ago I got a glimpse of the pride – and protectiveness – a parent might feel for her child. It felt awesome.

Alleluia, Alleluia. After enough repetitions those eight syllables tunneled their way into my brain like a catchy radio jingle. Alleluia, Alleluia at the end of every thought.

Brendan Busse wonders whether a comedic moment in the Jackie Robinson biopic is also a window into another, non-racial, story of exclusion.

In the midst of national tragedy, Joe Simmons sees Facebook as a window into our desire for communal comfort in our anxiety and anger.