Poem: Hand and Cheek By W. Rian Adams Hand and Cheek is a poem about communication… well, let’s be honest, it’s really a poem about a girl!! A very pretty girl I call the love of my life. Over the years I’ve learned that love often communicates without the need for words. As we stare into the eyes of someone who loves us, their eyes will tell a story as old as time. Additionally, love is able to communicate through gentle or erotic touch. You can tell someone you love them and…
Healing Snakes: Christ and Healing from Bitterness By The Rev. Rian Adams The title says it all! Through the Christ and his love there is healing from bitterness. Today’s lesson is a prime example of how that can happen. When the image of a snake comes to mind it usually carries a negative connotation. I had many lessons as a child about the dangers of snakes. But Jesus, like so many things in the Gospel of John, flips the reader’s preconceived notions to the other side of the coin. Snakes can also be a…
Grace: A Poem For My Grandparents On Their 62nd Wedding Anniversary My grandparents taught me the beauty and the subtle art of grace through their relationship. Today they celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary and as such I offer them this humble poem. They are people who are willing to suffer together because of their spirituality. Compassion for the other marked their relationship. It is quite challenging in a day when pop culture says that relationships are about ourselves. If you would like to read more of there story please click here. If you would like to check out more…
How To Be Happy: Poetry by Rian Adams How to be happy is a question that has spawned thousands of ideas, books, and even religions. Everyone seems to have a simple answer to a very complex issue. We often overlook some of life most important lessons because we are too busy looking for life’s answers. One thing being a priest has taught me is to avoid the people who have all the answers. The older I get the more questions I have. I’ve learned that the essence of happiness is living in the moment and…
Eyes and Soul: Poetry by Rian Adams The poem Eyes and Soul is a take on William Shakespeare’s quote, “The eyes are the window to the soul.” I think something spiritual happens when we observe eyes staring back at us in wonder. In essence, it reminds us that we are truly alive. Even Matthew, the Gospel writer, says this, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy then your whole body is filled with light.” Matthew’s message is clear, when our eyes are fixed on beauty…
Grey by Rian Adams My poem “Grey” focuses on the beauty that can often come with age and experience. True love appreciate all parts of a person, even the complexities and the ambiguities. When we see the complexities and contradictions of love, and accept them, that’s when love is true. Otherwise it’s simply projection of an ideal. Real men lie when they tell their ladies that they pulled out a grey hair. There is something sacred about acknowledging the stresses, the disappointments, and ambiguities of a life that never…