At our November 2015 WEE Forum, Dr. Gregg Detwiler & Rev. Torli Krua presented on, ‘A Christian Response Along the Refugee Highway.’ It was a remarkable presentation. Gregg and Torli provided great insight and a holistic perspective regarding the nature & scope of the present refugee crisis, and, vitally, how we can more effectively engage the crisis. Please see below for a 3 minute video summary of the forum.
Aaron Friar is an Eastern Orthodox Christian and a friend of the Institute. He recently shared an excerpt from his excellent blog, ‘Like Mendicant Monks,’ that he penned a few years ago but has new timeliness this year (for reasons you will soon see) as the Christian Church prepares to enter once more into the sobriety and joy of the Passion of our Lord.
May Aaron’s words encourage you and bring to your mind and heart a sense of the beauty and wonder of this season! Enjoy…
“Hasten to the Tomb! I had been planning it all week, but like all difficult things, when the time came to actually carry it out, I was lingering in the throes of early morning drowsiness. I have been trying for years to attend the Western Easter Vigil Service that I format every year for the parish where I am employed as an administrator. But for the last several years, the Eastern and the Western calendars have been in sync, and I would never miss a drop of Orthodox Holy Week, especially as I usually lead the service on the morning of Great and Holy Saturday.
But this year I had my opportunity, and I determined to seize it. I saw early on in the week that the monks at the Society of Saint John the Evangelist just across the river from me start their Easter Vigil at the ripe hour of 4:30am Sunday morning. Surely I could return from our parish’s Lenten Men’s Retreat in the Western half of the state soon enough to catch a few winks and rise at deep dawn to hasten to the tomb. But that was before I carefully reckoned the fatigue of driving two hours back and forth and the stamina of a 40-something year old. This morning, when the hour arrived to depart, I was listening more to Pastor Pillow than to my earlier enthusiasm. [Read more…]