merry christmas, spammers!

a few years ago on easter, first united church in vancouver’s downtown eastside carried a cross through the neighbourhood. it was a big, simple cross – and there were needles stuck all over it. the christ of the drug addicts. an image i will never forget. there is much about the message of the new… Continue reading merry christmas, spammers!

compassion and social media

the three wise men the three monks are inviting us to write about compassion. compassion: literally, to suffer (passion) with (com-) another. in latin, this suffering did not only refer to the suffering that occurs in pain, it also generally refers to things that we don’t actively instigate – things that happen to us, things… Continue reading compassion and social media

understanding guilt: is it useful?

what is guilt? we usually think that guilt is a feeling. however, it is not a primary emotion like fear or happiness, sadness or even shame. it is more complex. when joe feels guilt over having forgotten his and mary’s wedding anniversary, a number of things happen. he needs to have a basic concept of… Continue reading understanding guilt: is it useful?