Merry Christmas

Born in a barn. Accumulated nothing. Tortured to death. Christmas is a meditation on humility. Our institutions have very little in the way of humility. This blanket statement does not exclude the church.

Full disclosure

Gurdjieff was not one to confuse religion with the institutional church. “If you want to lose your faith,” he said, “make friends with a priest.” I offer this because I was ordained once.

Stop trying

I used to be religious and was, for a time, a minister. Once, during a visit, a lapsed parishioner told me he was going to try to get to church.

Imagine that—a well-off, scratch golfer trying to get to church.

Trying is failing. Do what you feel like doing.