Category: Ian

Symposium

This past weekend, I also experienced the thrill of traveling to Coming Together 7 in New Haven. Talking to students from across the country who shared a passion for interfaith ministry and a deep respect for different traditions was an eye-opening experience. To be honest, I’m still trying to process the entirety of my time at the […]

Snow

“It was easy to love God in all that was beautiful. The lessons of deeper knowledge, though, instructed me to embrace God in all things.” -St. Francis of Assisi   After living in the Boston Area for most of my life, I thought I had become accustomed to snow. I looked forward to that one day each year […]

Candlelight

The semester has drawn to a close. Final exams are mercifully over, and I can imagine that the lights of the dorms have gone out now that people have left for break. It seems fitting that as the daylight trickled out, so did the people and friends I’ve met this semester. I have only been […]

Foot in the Door

There is a phenomenon in psychology called the foot-in-the-door effect. The idea is that if someone agrees to do something small for you, they are more likely to agree to a larger favor next. Similarly, there is another principle called the door-in-the-face effect. If you ask someone to do a very large favor and they […]

Struggling with Scripture

“Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever. For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is […]

Affinity and Dissimilarity

Of all the rooms in my old school, the cafeteria was by far one of the most interesting and one that I remember vividly. Admittedly, the fact that it was always noisy at lunchtime reminded me of one reason why I rarely wanted to eat there. Despite the noise and bustle, though, it was always […]

Sewing Spirit Back Together

I’ve been thinking about healing, and what that really means. During our Marsh Associate meeting with Jen and Soren on Monday evening, we heard two pieces of verse about this subject. The first was from Jeremiah, chapter 8, verse 22: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the […]

Unearthing the Overlooked

Another Halloween has come and gone. Costumes have been put away, spider webs and skeletons are being taken down from houses, and people are very likely recovering from a night of celebrating and eating copious amounts of candy. In hindsight, though, the holiday strikes me as a bit odd. Halloween is one of the few […]

Solace in Discomfort

I rarely feel enthusiastic at the idea of large crowds. The thought of having to move through so many people induces a mix of uneasiness and dread. Last year, I distinctly remember walking to the Museum of Fine Arts with a group of students on World Series night. The sheer volume of people felt bewildering, […]

Bridging Understandings

Over the summer, I read part of a book on medical ethnomusicology, the study of how music is used in healing across different cultures. One particular chapter discussed the role religion has in patient health and recovery from illness. The author stated that for many patients, their faith played an important part of their personal […]