Turning our attention
We live, as some have observed, in an attention economy. Attention, like time, is a limited resource. Because where we direct our attention impacts what we buy, getting and keeping our attention is a key strategy for those with something to sell. Attention is also a spiritual resource. It is…
Lent Devotional: Go Back Home
The church camp I grew up going to every summer had a tradition that, in retrospect, was somewhat odd. One of the songs we regularly sang as part of mealtimes or worship services was the folk song “500 Miles.” I always naively assumed this was just a camp song, and…
Ukraine and Mennonites, war and peace
In the late 1700s the Russian leader Catherine the Great issued a decree inviting Europeans to come settle the newly conquered lands of the Russian Empire in present day Ukraine. German speaking Mennonites answered the call. They had previously fled persecution in the Netherlands and viewed this as an opportunity…
Sanctuary updates: Edith, Pilar, pictures
Tomorrow, February 18, is the one-year anniversary of Edith leaving sanctuary. She lived in our church building for 40 months to avoid deportation. She has been living with her family in Columbus and now has a work permit. Last week a group of us accompanied Edith to an ICE…
Seeing with love
A lot of us spend a good amount of time and energy trying to change the world we see for the better. A recent collection of photos by Columbus photographer Ben Willis called The Home We Know is a good reminder that changing how we see is also vital. The…