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A “Religious” Walk Home
I had an intense “religious” experience one night while walking home from my small Swiss village of Worb. An experience that not only prompted childhood memories of my past but gave my present day desires and future longings a place and time to be experienced as well. The pathway home was lit only by the reflective light of the full moon which reminded me of walking down a dark Pennsylvania road as a boy wanting nothing more than to know who I was in relation to this big world. And yet at the same time, the dark Swiss countryside was calling me to be present not only to my desires…
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Stockhorn
It was great to have my parents come for a visit a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time exploring both some familiar and new places here in Switzerland. One of which was the mountain peak of Stockhorn. It was a beautiful day and my parents were able to cross a few things off of their bucket list, namely a gondola ride to the top of a Swiss Alp.
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The Bridge
Mercy: the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness. -Pope Francis The first step, that very first step So hard but filled with such emotion Our feelings propel us to act They propel us to move So we step We walk “It’s better to feel pain than nothing at all. The opposite of love is indifference.” -The Lumineers, “Stubborn Love” Yet, the more that we walk Our feelings fail us They die We are exposed Our inner most identities cry out Our daily activities no longer hide our desires We are left with simply ourselves We are on the…
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Time is Love
The thoughts blow in uninvited during certain times of our lives. And the feelings that accompany these thoughts make us pause, at least for a moment, and wonder how the days of our lives keep coming and going like the sea tide under our feet. There are times when we welcome these thoughts and are able to wrestle with a greater truth. While other times we don’t or just can’t. So we move quickly to replace them with thoughts we believe will make us happier. Or at the very least, thoughts that masquerade the reality of our current state. Nevertheless, whether we welcome them or we resist them, we have…
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Bern, Switzerland
Bern, Switzerland has been our home city for just about a year. Even though we live just outside of the city in the village of Worb, Bern is where my wife Amy goes to work every day, and it is where my kids love to walk the arcades and look in the shops. The slow pace and beautiful architecture of the capital city of Switzerland captivates us every time we walk its century old streets. One of my goals for this New Year is to explore a new place in Switzerland at least once a week. Whether that is a day excursion into the Alps, explore the many different trails…
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Mürren, Switzerland
We spent the day in Mürren, Switzerland yesterday on a beautiful Saturday before a storm made its way in. We explored the quaint town with its snow covered streets (for skiers to get around) and magnificent views of the Alps. We eventually made our way up to Allmendhubel where we had lunch, and, where the boys got to play on the coolest playground ever!!! One thing that both Amy and I have really enjoyed about Switzerland, aside from its beauty, is its pace of life. It seems that the intentional emphasis on “slowing down” by the Swiss people can be reflected in not only the quality of life here but…
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Kandersteg, Switzerland
Today I was able to go to a place that I have been wanting to go to since moving here to Switzerland, namely, Kandersteg and Lake Oeschinensee. After about a 50 minute drive from our house I arrived in Kandersteg and went up the lift to trails leading me to Lake Oeschinensee. My family and I are very grateful to experience this adventure in Switzerland and have seen some beautiful places. But this is near the top of my list. The combination of the majestic peaks of the Alps and the silent serene landscape of the snow and trees made this visit very spiritual. For it took me out of…
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Hope and Home
Walking through the familiar door into the place that I called home for most of my childhood and teenage years brought contentment and a sense of peace, yet also confliction. I knew what stair created the loudest creak. I knew what seat gave the best view of the TV. Looking up at night, I knew the shadows on the ceiling before I fell asleep. This was my home during some of the most influential times of my life. This was my home that gave birth to great joy, great sorrow, and great love. This was my home. And yet, I was a visitor. For this was my parent’s home. Pulling…
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Human, A Christmas Carol
Last week while driving home from dropping the kids off at school, I heard the first Christmas carol of the season. Well, sort of. It was an accident, and it wasn’t necessarily a Christmas carol by nature. Because Switzerland does not inundate their radio stations and stores with traditional Christmas songs weeks before Christmas, Human by the Human League, at least on one level, served to be the first one I heard all season. Now before you think I have been drinking too much Gluhwein, let me try to explain. I admit that I am an 80’s freak, so anything from the 1980s is ranked high on my list. The…
