It’s sixth century Arabia and a Jewish ruler invaded a Christian village and it’s inhabitants killed because of their faith. Across the Red Sea, the Ethiopian King Elesbaan sought to avenge the lives of his brothers and sisters of the faith by conquering the invaders. He went through a series of initial defeats in battle. … More An Elesbaan Among the Maroons?: A Story of Tom Copper
Before I learned anything about the Desert Fathers or the Great Dismal Swamp Maroons, I loved to retreat to my place apart from everything and everyone else. My parents built a home in the early 1980’s near Jack’s Creek in King William. A bend between the “swimming hole” and the “other branch” became my favorite … More A Place Apart
“Go sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” from The Sayings of the Desert Fathers Asking for a word of salvation from a monk or nun was a common practice in early Christianity. Some pilgrims visited monastics with deep sincerity striving for a teaching to overcome habitual sins or discover God’s … More Lessons of St. Moses: Go to Your Room
I was born not long before Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. Despite the riots in Detroit and Watts, there seemed to be a hope that human brotherhood and the beloved society would end racism and racial injustice. Somewhere between April 4th, 1968 and the mass incarceration of low level black drug offenders in the Regan, … More Seeking a Greater Restoration
I suppose putting these two men together in an image is a bit of a curiosity. One was born a slave and became one of the world’s most famous scientist. The other was an academic with a promising future that he left behind and became one of Orthodoxy’s most heralded modern monks. As different as … More Of Carver and Rose
