Marilyn R. Gardner's Blog, page 55

Hit and Run

Last Thursday, a car ran over two pedestrians just outside my office. It was in the centerof one of the busiest tourist areas of the city. The car was on top of the victims as the driver ran off into the crowds. Several people helped to lift the car off the victims and they were [...]

Live Slowly; Enter in Gently

I find it impossibly difficult to return to writing after summer time. It’s so maddening. I finally have the space and the quiet I need to write and … nothing. Brick walls. Dead ends. The words refuse to come. I have nothing to say. I have nothing more to write about. Perhaps you haven’t noticed, [...]

When Pictures Wake us Up

The world grows tired but pictures wake us up. The world is weary of words, but pictures change the conversation. I write about refugees, knowing that there are those shaking their heads “yeah, yeah, we know already.” This is coded language for the longer “We know there are refugees, we know there are overwhelming needs. [...]

Small Things for the Kingdom

“Long ago, it seemed, I had been ruined for the ordinary.” It was six years ago thatI had the opportunity to go to Pakistan, place of my childhood and land that I love, to work with displaced people. Massive floods had uprootedmillions of people and Pakistan was feeling the after effects. Villages sat empty, every [...]

Love Goes the Extra Mile

We’ve just come back from a family vacation where we spent seven nights near the Smoky Mountains in northern Tennessee. Every morning we woke up to far off frothy fogs rising up between the hills and ridges across the horizon. Every evening we watched the sun’s benediction settle over and under and behind the mountains. [...]

Sacred Mobility

“Researchers Jeffrey Keuss and Rob Willett describe the TCK experience from a theological perspective, using the phrase “sacredly mobile.” When seen in this light, they describe the experience of the sacredly mobile adolescent as a journey in following God’s vocational call. More importantly, the sacredly mobile adolescent reminds the rest of the Christian community that [...]

There’s so Much to Do

I wake up thinking “There is so much to do!” Housework and writing; communicating and catching up; praying and reflecting. But I’m caught in this trap of media watching. It’s a vicious cycle of anger and laughter and sadness – but mostly anger. There’s so much to do, but I’m caught. I’m right where the [...]

The Shallow Identity of Party Affiliation

Last night we had dinner with some new friends. We have been connecting online for about two years, and finally had the opportunity to meet. The conversation turned toward politics. Jenn talked about reading a book where the author surmised that Jesus was more liberal than the liberals and more conservative then the conservatives. [...]

Honoring the Past; Rejoicing in the Present

I woke up tired – tired in the best sort of way. How do you capture an event that weaves your past and present together, giving you a tapestry that includes not only memories, but also a sense of being grounded in your current reality? This weekend brought together a group of people aged 16 [...]

While We Wait for the Big Things Let’s do a Bunch of Little Things

I’ve continued to grieve the complex race issues we’ve seen played out over the last month here in the US. I don’t understand it. It hurts to hear more news of more injustice: black men shot dead, white police officers shot dead. If I’m completely honest I’ve felt guilty for being white and I’ve felt [...]