The Wisdom of Eugene Peterson

The PBS show Religion & Ethics interviewed Eugene Peterson a couple of weeks ago. You can watch it here:

Watch the full episode. See more Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

A Thirsty God (Mother Teresa)

Early in Mother Teresa's career she was inspired by Jesus' last words on the cross "I thirst" and his discussion with the Samaritan woman at the well, where he asked her for something to drink (John 4:9). The words "I Thirst" became the motto for the Sisters of Charity and would later be found painted or written in every chapel of the society. In Kathryn Spink's biography of Mother Teresa she says this about the motto and its significance:

The Congregation's expressed aim, was to 'quench the infinite thirst of Jesus Christ on the Cross for love of souls'. The importance given to this general aim would be underlined by the fact that in time each one of the Society's chapels throughout the world would be inscribed with the two simple words: 'I thirst'. ... Beyond this lay Mother Teresa's conviction that when Jesus Christ spoke the words 'I thirst' on the cross, he did so as a revelation of God's longing to draw humanity to himself. She saw the cry  as an expression of the same thirst revealed to the woman at Jacob's Well, a thirst which could not be quenched by water alone but by love. She also recognized that the requisite love could only come from God.

In a letter written to Sister Jacqueline de Decker, Mother Teresa said:

What a beautiful vocation is yours - A Missionary of Charity - a carrier of God's love - we carry in our body and soul the love of an infinite thirsty God - and we - you and I and all the dear Sisters and the Sick and Suffering will satiate the burning thirst - you with your untold suffering, we with hard labour, but are we not the same one - 'as your Father in me and I in you', said Jesus.

God thirsts. God thirsts for us and humanity thirsts for God. Lord give us that water to drink that will quench our thirst and then yours as well.

Really neat Automaton Monk

Radiolab had a wonderful podcast on this 16th c. engineering miracle created on account of a dieing prince's dream. Go here for more of the story. Go here for a video of the monkbot on youtube. Here again, evidence that the 16th c. was an amazing century.

The Highlight of the Royal Wedding

Today's festivities were a delight to watch at 5am in the morning. The highlight was John Rutter's specially commissioned Anthem. It was angelic; I hope it will be recorded and available on iTunes.

 Below are the words:

This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.
O praise the Lord of heav'n: praise him in the height
Praise him, all ye angels of his: praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars and light.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee: to keep thee in thy ways.
The Lord himself is they keeper: the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
so that the sun shall not burn thee by day: neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in: from this time forth for evermore.
He shall defend thee under his wings.
Be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, and put thou thy trust in the Lord.

(Psalms 118:24; 148:1-3, 5a; 91:4a,11; 121:5-8; 27:16b)