Phillip Berry | Orient Yourself

Our nearly 3 year old grandson recently came running down the stairs at our house. He had been playing in an upstairs bedroom that belonged to one of our sons - a world of wonder with old toys, books, and various other artifacts that would intrigue any young boy.

I love America. I believe in her institutions, traditions, system of government, capacity for good, and in her people. There is little we can't achieve when we pull together as a Nation. Now is the time for us to pull together and pivot.

New doorways have appeared. Pathways through old thickets are emerging. Worn roads are fading as fresh tracks are made on new byways.  The sound you are hearing is change. The specter of death has created something else, the possibility of life anew.  The Retreat As many have retreated, the old, limiting rules of the status […]

The Problem With Uncertainty Does the future look a bit murky right now? The world is in a state of flux. Our functional norms have been thrown out the window and we are unsettled. That discomfort you feel is uncertainty. Everything feels uncertain right now. Everything. Amid uncertainty, our instinct is to freeze, hunker-down, and […]

Heavy. That’s how it feels right now. We are bombarded with case counts and death counts. Seeing the Johns Hopkins map looks like a doomsday timer counting toward something incomprehensible. The drama builds to new daily crescendos as we brace for the worst amid criticisms of not being prepared or being slow to adjust our […]

In January, I began a journey in a Catholic spiritual exercise called Exodus 90. One element of the program involves the practice of asceticism with the goal of detaching from habits or material desires that can be distractions from your faith and living your best life. Today is Day 75. My goal with Exodus 90 […]

One of the dangerous side effects of our current COVID-19 shutdown is the inevitable feeling of helplessness that comes from being directed to “shelter-in-place” – particularly if our vocation is considered “non-essential.” What incredibly dis-empowering words! The Message Each day, we are barraged with images and words that affirm our helplessness. Arbitrary timelines. The “Flatten […]

The sand shifts Underfoot Waves pushing and pulling Removing steadiness In their retreat These are days of unease Unsteadiness A time when certainty Feels distant A stranger to our longing The old vulnerability has returned, Though it was never far All the old rules feel broken The old comforts a mirage In this blanket of […]

Standing on the beach a few days ago, I watched the waves roll in, crashing over my feet and legs. I shut my eyes and listened to the steady sound of the water; not quite a roar but strong, persistent, and calming.

Want to test someone's mettle? Turn up the heat. Apply some pressure. Turn the screws. You don't truly know a person until you've watched how he or she behaves when under stress.