It seems like a silly title, doesn't it? Despite that, to one degree or another, most spirituality and religion has encouraged adherents to deny that they are embodied and refuse to acknowledge the needs that come with embodiment. Whether it's fasting, sleep deprivation, celibacy, dietary restrictions, self-inflicted abuse of different kinds, human sacrifice, or any…
What if bad isn’t bad?
First, a disclaimer: The ideas in this post are under development and not finalized in any way, shape or form. I reserve the right to denounce the entire contents at any time in the future. What if bad isn't bad? Asked another way, what if the things that happen that we identify as bad are…
Sometimes, the pain…
Sometimes, the pain - whether physical, emotional, or psychological - is too much. Despite all of our best intentions and determination, the thought of moving forward is overwhelming. We have listened to doctors, therapists, teachers, and gurus who have all told us that we must press on, but in this moment we feel absolutely exhausted…
Pain as Spiritual Teacher
As someone who lives with chronic pain, I can tell you from my experience that it can be a tremendous spiritual teacher. It can also make you want to eat a bullet. Most of the time, I find I sit somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. You might say that if we constructed…
But he’s not up there anymore!
I can't tell you how many people, confronted with a crucifix or other image of the crucified Jesus, say to me, "...but he's not up there anymore!" Of course, part of the reason they are saying that is they can't deal with the idea that Jesus ever was "up there." It was a great problem…
Craig Bergland 