Spirituality & Love

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Reflections from a sabbatical in Italy

Reflections from a sabbatical in Italy

by | May 16, 2023 |

I just completed a 3-month sabbatical program–from January 9 to April 3rd in Rome Italy.  I am a retired priest so a sabbatical is a little unusual. I was excited to return to Rome which I had visited before. The sabbatical combined theological courses offered each week -Monday through Friday and tours to various museums, churches and other sites in and around Rome.  On weekends, I and the other participants traveled to different parts of Italy and Europe. On two weekends, I was able to go to Florence and Venice – two of the cities I most love in Italy.

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Finding the courage to love

Finding the courage to love

by | May 2, 2023 | ,

A recent weekend was rich in experiences that reminded me of another element of love – courage. Last week’s post reflected on the many ways that we can look back at a person’s life when they die and see all the love that was present. I shared about the life of Rudi Rudran and all the good that came from his life of service. In his story and for many others, the daily acts of loving require courage fueled by faith of some kind.

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 Seeing Love at Death: A Life of Love

 Seeing Love at Death: A Life of Love

by | Apr 25, 2023 |

As we continue to explore the topic of love and what it is and isn’t, I was reminded about how death helps us to see more clearly the big loving hearts of friends and family. Geraldine and I received calls about the deaths of a family member and of Rudy Rudran, the spouse of a friend on the same day recently. Being part of the communities that came together for both reminded me of the power of love over a lifetime. Our family member was 93 and our friend 92. Both gatherings overflowed with stories of love and service and reminders that love is possible and even essential even when life is tough.

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Rethinking Unconditional Love

Rethinking Unconditional Love

by | Apr 11, 2023 |

I recently had a conversation about the idea and ideal of unconditional love. Someone was struggling with whether they would ever experience truly unconditional love. Reflecting on a series of challenged personal relationships, this person was feeling despair and wondering if they were irrevocably broken. I found myself considering our cultural conditioning and proposed that perhaps the problem was with American cultural assumptions rather than individual brokenness.

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 Embracing and Extending Black History Month

 Embracing and Extending Black History Month

by | Mar 7, 2023 | ,

The significance of Black History Month 2023 varies widely across the United States. To make real progress on our deep racial divides, we all need to pay attention to Black History all year long. The opportunities to do so abound. I have come to this point of view slowly over many years. Not long ago I looked at Black History Month participation as a box to check off out of obligation and perhaps guilt. It was one more thing to do.

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About Tom Adams

Tom AdamsTom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.