news

Be kind and show our real, imperfect faces

Feb 27, 2022 | Columns

kinsaguro - Japanese pottery Photo by Riho Kitagawa on Unsplash

A few months ago, I went on a spiritual retreat and on the first night the leader read Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” This Old Testament verse, is almost a mindfulness mantra now.

But then, she went on to say, in some translations that verse becomes, “Stop striving and know that I am God.” Whoa!

Striving? Like ambition? Like wanting? Like trying to look good? I am a striver. I strive to be more, do more, have more, even be more spiritual. Since that retreat, I’ve been thinking a lot about striving, especially how we push each other — intentionally or not — to strive more.

Yes, we pay lip service to embracing imperfection. We quote Brene Brown, who tells us that vulnerability is our superpower. But we even say that with a certain pride, “Look how vulnerable I’m being.” We admire the Japanese art of kinsaguro — you’ve seen pictures of the broken pottery with mended with pure gold, cracks gleaming. “See how beautiful imperfection is.”

Continue Reading

more news

Podcast with Marion Roach Smith: Writing Through and Around Recovery

Podcast with Marion Roach Smith: Writing Through and Around Recovery

Join Diane Cameron in this podcast hosted by Marion Roach Smith, part of the Let Me Introduce You series, where Marion introduces experts in fields that intersect with memoir. Listen in and learn how to live this writing life. The Let Me Introduce You series is...

The Christian challenge to find Jesus through the fog

The Christian challenge to find Jesus through the fog

You might think that on Christmas Day it wouldn’t be hard to talk about Jesus. But I get a little nervous just bringing mentioning him. I know that’s sad, but I get anxious because I’m a pretty left-leaning liberal Democrat and I think that I will immediately have to...

Podcast with Marion Roach Smith: Writing Through and Around Recovery

Podcast with Marion Roach Smith: Writing Through and Around Recovery

Join Diane Cameron in this podcast hosted by Marion Roach Smith, part of the Let Me Introduce You series, where Marion introduces experts in fields that intersect with memoir. Listen in and learn how to live this writing life. The Let Me Introduce You series is...

Join the Mailing List

Get notified about upcoming events, articles, books and other news. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Thanks for subscribing!