Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. In the water walking allegory, stepping out of the boat is called “faith.” But then the word “faith” was usurped by religion as a uniform requirement for belonging —a shared creed. Back when faith was still raw and personal, Jesus told Peter he needed it. Then by religious use,Continue reading “#75.3 Thursday, December 4, 2025”
Category Archives: Medieval
#75.2 Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. It could be that God is speaking to everyone all the time. But what one hears depends on listening. Sometimes I listen. But my experience in hearing God is always personal and never credibly shareable. Maybe it is out of fear or awe, but people – at least speakingContinue reading “#75.2 Wednesday, December 3, 2025”
#75.1 Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. Since the third century, when I first left Ephesus to heal from the persecutions, I’ve seen the pattern of religion moving from personal individual mystical experience to a community following an earthly rule as a religion. This thing that my sister and I had been given by a mysticalContinue reading “#75.1 Tuesday, December 2, 2025”
#74.12 Thursday, November 27, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. Bede’s book unwinds with the story I came here to understand. When Bishop Aiden, the founder of Lindisfarne died, his successor was Finan [651 C.E.] also “consecrated and sent by the Irish.” Finan constructed the church at Lindisfarne in the Irish method of oak and thatching. The Roman wayContinue reading “#74.12 Thursday, November 27, 2025”
#74.11 Weds., November 26, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. I came to Jarrow looking for the hate words I thought Bede had planted in the written history of Lindisfarne. Those who gathered for the reading of Alcuin’s letter to Bishop Higbald were talking among themselves in search of the sins of Lindisfarne. Alcuin’s letter offered some sinContinue reading “#74.11 Weds., November 26, 2025”
#74.10 Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. A technique to practice love in the work of learning to love God and neighbor and self, and even love for “enemy” is a technique of working through words of fear and hate, then widening the disparaging words to be positive words. This exercise doesn’t pretend love, rather itContinue reading “#74.10 Tuesday, November 25, 2025”
#74.9 Thursday, November 20, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. Both styles of monks, the Irish and the Roman, are beloved by God. And maybe God answers the argument when a monk from the Roman Rule happens to lose his hair without even shaving it, but only in the front, giving this Roman Christian the Irish tonsure. And theContinue reading “#74.9 Thursday, November 20, 2025”
#74.8 Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. I’ve come to Jarrow following my own curiosity about what I, as a mere lay person, judge as wrong-headed. Obedience to the papal edict is demanded when it is actually the voice of God that calls us in the dark of night. I came here to argue againstContinue reading “#74.8 Wednesday, November 19, 2025”
#74.7 Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. Perhaps Samuel, in particular, caught Bede’s interest as he, like Samuel, was dedicated to the priests at a young age. Samuel, whose mother, Hannah, gave him to the temple priest to fulfill her promise to dedicate her child to serve God. As young Bede served Ceolfrith, young SamuelContinue reading “#74.7 Tuesday, November 18, 2025”
#74.6 Thursday, November 13, 2025
Historical Setting: Jarrow, 793 C.E. I stand before the book stand that holds Bede’s ecclesiastical history, considering eschatology or thoughts of end times as a circle. History tries to be linear with a beginning and an end, a head and a tail, as a line, with only an untapped option to circle for eternity,Continue reading “#74.6 Thursday, November 13, 2025”
Lazarus Ink 