(art: Job and His Wife Restored to Prosperity, William Blake, 1826) The story of Job is one of the greatest stories of thanksgiving for all time. It is also special because it is a story shared between all of the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Book of Job is a relatively short read. … Continue reading Thanksgiving in the Story of Job
grief
Is there divine forgiveness for suicide?
One of the greatest tragedies and griefs that a person may experience in their lifetime is the death of a loved one when they take their own life. The despair of the loved one that first led them to taking their own life doesn't stop there, but rather extends its devastation to encircle the living … Continue reading Is there divine forgiveness for suicide?
Justice Will Always Be Delivered
(art: La Justicia entre los arcángeles Miguel y Gabriel, Jacobello del Fiore, 1421 C.E.) Justice is an important matter for forgiveness. When we are experience a hurtful event and its accompanying moral distress or moral injury, from something deep and fundamental in our own being we know "that's not the way it is supposed to … Continue reading Justice Will Always Be Delivered
Pope Leo Explains the Resurrection as Cause and Model for Forgiveness
(photo: Edgar Beltran, 2025) Pope Leo XIV had important things to say about forgiveness in his General Audience on Wednesday of this week. His remarks linked forgiveness to the example of Jesus Christ when he appeared to the disciples after his resurrection (John 20:19-31), and how Jesus appears without anger or desire for revenge, but … Continue reading Pope Leo Explains the Resurrection as Cause and Model for Forgiveness
Mercy Makes Forgiveness
(photo: Pope Leo XIV and author Diane Foley, Vatican Media, 2025) I have a theory: Learning from experience is fundamentally human. We learn from our experiences, and what we learn changes the way we think, feel, and act -- sometimes a little, but sometimes in ways that transform us. When we are in community with … Continue reading Mercy Makes Forgiveness
Forgiving Makes More Forgiveness
(photo: Prairie Deer Mouse by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) An important part of my day is the time I spend in our stable, hay shed, and on our pastures. Regularly doing some outdoor work caring for animals and little ecosystems like pastures, keeps gives me a daily connection to nature and the proverbial … Continue reading Forgiving Makes More Forgiveness
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
(photo by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) This little patch of Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia herta) showed up in our woods for the first time this year. There must be just enough of a break in the overhead canopy of pines to provide the sunlight that these flowers bask in. Black Eyed Susans are … Continue reading What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Forgiveness Makes It Real
(photo by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) Summer blooms on our oak savanna here in central Minnesota are a sight to see every day now. This is a favorite -- Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea). The Liturgy of the Hours can be a daily routine of prayer that gives you something to think about … Continue reading Forgiveness Makes It Real
Live and Forgive 