Recently, I had one of those perfectly-timed experiences where the radio just happened to play what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. It was a segment called “Aha Moments” on the show Studio 360. I felt…
OPINION: I want to be Judi Dench
When I’m asked what actress I admire most people are often surprised by my response. I suspect they think my answer will be someone closer to my age or at least one of the classic examples like Meryl Streep. But…
OPINION: O, Death
O, Death O, Death Won’t you spare me over til another year Well what is this that I can't see With ice cold hands takin’ hold of me Well I am death, none can excel I’ll open the door to…
OPINION: ‘Melancholia’ and the Good War
Death. Final, epic, Wagnerian death in a colossal collision between a rogue planet off-course and Earth. Somehow Melancholia makes it beautiful, poetic and completely and peacefully final. The film by director Lars von Trier is a sumptuous exploration of the…
OPINION: Yes, and!
Remember in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones comes face to face with a sword wielding villain in an Egyptian market place? The script called for the hero, Indie and his trademark whip, to take on the swordsman…
OPINION: What’s going on?
For the last five years I’ve been immersed in thoughts about the prophetic role of the Church in our world. Part of this fascination is due to the belief that the work of artists inherently holds the opportunity to be…
OPINION: A passionate engagement of creative minds
One recent magical Saturday night I shared in a banquet in Charlottesville, Va. The food, table and company were gathered in celebration of creativity, imagination and art as spiritual practice. Tables were decorated with simple butcher paper painted with splashes…
OPINION: The best worst movie
I’m thinking about authenticity. It seems to be a theme right now in my life—in relationships, in church, in community, in relationship with God. People often say they are looking for authenticity but I’m wondering what we actually mean by…
OPINION: The joy formidable
On Monday night at the 9:30 Club in Washington, I stood for three hours with roughly 800 other people to listen to three bands play live music. Once again I found God speaking in sacred ways all over the “secular”…