Are You Well Read, Or Do You Read Well?

February 4, 2026

A TV advertisement ran when I was an adolescent. It featured a tuna called Charlie who pursued all manner of high-brow taste. The punch line was, “Starkist doesn’t want tuna with good taste; it wants tuna that taste good.”

I’d like to take that turn of phrase to something else—reading.

Dad wanted me to attend the University of Dayton. The school had three books required to be read by incoming freshmen. I still have one on my bookshelf—How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler (who, ironically, is the bad guy of the philosophy department in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance).

I recommend reading that book. Then reading again after figuring out how to read it. (Looks like it’s only available at Amazon, and I don’t link to Amazon.)

Ryan Holliday, writing in his Daily Stoic newsletter, talks about whether we are well read or whether we read well.

Discussing how Marcus Aurelius could quote so freely from a few Stoic philosophers, he notes, “This capacity for recall is indicative of the ancient’s approach to reading.”

I encourage you to also consider Jesus. Check out not only how he could quote the texts important to the culture of his time but also how he had thought them through.

Back to Holliday, “The philosopher Mortimer Adler talked about how the phrase “well-read” has lost its original meaning. We hear someone referred to as “well-read” today and we think someone who has read lots of books. But the ancients would have thought someone who really knows their stuff, who has dived deep in a few classic texts to the point that they truly understand them. ‘A person who has read widely but not well,’ Mortimer says of the modern reader, ‘deserves to be pitied rather than praised.’ The early 17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes joked similarly, ‘If I read as many books as most men do, I would be as dull-witted as they are.’ “

I am guilty of reading many books and other information sources. But I also like to continually delve again into spiritual classics and the New Testament just to stay grounded.

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Superpowers

February 3, 2026

I picked this up from Shane Parrish (FS) in Brain Food. I have probably hit each of these individually at some time. It’s interesting to see the list. Don’t scan it. It’s not a checklist. 

Dwell on each item. Think. Where am I on these things? Where do I need to grow?

Superpowers you can choose: 

  • Ability to change yourself & your mind 
  • Not taking things personally 
  • Not needing to prove you’re right 
  • Careful selection of all relationships 
  • Staying calm 
  • Being alone without being lonely 
  • Being ok with being uncomfortable 
  • Thinking for oneself

Reviewing these once again before posting, I cringe at memories unearthed by a few. Those of you who know me know what I mean.

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Pray For Others

February 2, 2026

I listened to an Episcopalian priest tell his story. He was (is) an alcoholic. He tried to keep it hidden. That didn’t work. The results became obvious. His congregation rebelled against him and drove him out.

He started attended AA meetings—in the basement of that same church. He gradually got better. “I found more love and support in that group meeting in the basement of the church than I found upstairs among the Christians.”

James talks to us about community and prayer.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

That part about confess your sins to each other has been abused countless times over the centuries. From what I can tell about James’s attitude toward community life, I think his vision was more like the AA meeting than a vindictive “drive out the devil” sort of gathering.

Let us learn to pray. For ourselves. For others. Sincerely. Without vindictiveness. Honestly and truly trying to help others to heal. God’s Spirit surrounds us. The prayer connects. The help may not be what we anticipated, but help will be there for sure. I have seen it in action. It’s real.

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Stand By Your Word

January 30, 2026

Trust.

Do we say what we mean and mean what we say?

When we say we’ll do something, can people depend on us to do it?

Do we have the courage to say no when we should?

James gives us this advice on your word. By the way, when he says “swear,” he does not mean what common American language means. It means invoking someone or something to back up our “yes.” As in, “I swear on my mother’s grave that I’ll do that.” In past cultures, we may have said, “I swear as God is my witness that I’ll don that.”

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

What are we if our word cannot be trusted?

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Loving Kindness Meditation

January 29, 2026

[Interrupting my series on the wisdom of James for a public service announcement.]

I may have mentioned that I signed on with a meditation teacher to assure my practice remains on track. We all need a teacher at times to make sure we’re not drifting off into some rabbit warren of screwiness.

This further reflects two of my core values held for my entire life—peace and justice.

This week’s trail focuses on loving kindness. We first focused on our own heart. We need to be kind to ourselves. Then we focused on one person whom we know to be suffering. We meditated focusing our heart’s kindness on the other person.

Yesterday, the teacher asked us to focus on a group of people whom we do not know but that we do know are suffering.

My heart immediately went to all the people in Minneapolis right now. I’ve avoided writing about the mess up there, because I have no first hand observation or experience also I have little to contribute.

You can label the practice meditation, contemplation, or prayer. We sit quietly. We focus on our heart region. We bring the group of people to mind. I focus loving kindness on the families and others directly affected by the loss of life of loved ones. And on the the groups of people standing in protest. And the further groups of people providing support to those who have been targeted. 

And also (surprising to some of you) to the federal agents who constitute a form of military organization. I know them not. Some may be thugs. Some may be adventurers looking for excitement. Some may think they are tough enough and need a job. I don’t know. But I doubt they’ve been well trained for the situation, a circumstance that leads to over-reaction. Over-reaction when bearing arms never leads to a good end.

They all in all their different circumstances need to be surrounded in the spirit of loving kindness.

That is something I can do from a remote location. And  something I will. Then waiting for the spirit to lead me to whatever step is next.

In the meantime, we could all engage in the practice through meditation or prayer or whatever you cane to call it to focus loving kindness into the midst of strife and chaos.

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Patience

January 28, 2026

Advice and encouragement for those facing suffering forms a consistent theme from first century Christian writers. James offers a practice and a warning.

The practice is patience. Like a farmer, practice patience and stand firm.

The warning—when things get tough, don’t grumble against one another.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

A takeaway—just as the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, so also should we be.

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Warning to Oppressors

January 27, 2026

James’s characteristic blunt language echoing teachings of Jesus explores our heart in relation to wealth. Those of us blessed with some measure of wealth need to be especially aware of the status of our hearts.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

The question we must resolve within ourselves—how do we use our wealth?

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Judging Others

January 26, 2026

I knew a teacher who would get to these wisdom pieces about not judging others, step aside from the text, and teach that we actually should judge other people.

He was partly wrong…and partly right. When we meet new people, we must evaluate. On the visceral level, do we like them, do we trust them, do we agree with them? This sort of evaluation helps us survive.

James, I think draws us deeper into these relationships.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. 

Remember, he writes to these small groups of new followers of The Way. Think of your church or small group. As you gather, do you speak ill of someone not there—or even to their faces? That is counter to Law according to James. It’s also counter to the teachings of Jesus about love.

Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 

I interpret James to be observing that type of person who takes perverse pleasure about judging people guilty (or innocent) according to God’s Law. I bet that all of us know someone like that. Hopefully that person is not us.

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

There is only one ultimate Judge. Why should we have the hubris so as to usurp God’s place?

This is an extension of James’s warning to be careful of what we say. We can start quite a firestorm with a comment. I know. I’ve done it in my life. It’s far better for everyone to hold our  peace.

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Pride and Humility

January 23, 2026

Like I’ve said before, James does not soft-pedal his message.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

John Climacus, one of the more influential Desert Fathers, also spoke boldly.

Pride is the denial of God, an invention of the devil, contempt for men. It is the mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of barrenness. It is a flight from God’s help, the harbinger of madness, the author of downfall. It is the cause of diabolical possession, the source of anger, the gateway of hypocrisy. It is the fortress of demons, the custodian of sins, the source of hardheartedness. It is the denial of compassion, a bitter pharisee, a cruel judge. It is the foe of God. It is the root of blasphemy.

Whew!

Stories in our news feeds would shrivel like a dried worm on the street on a sunny day following a rainstorm without prideful people to describe.

More important than observing others, let us turn the microscope on ourselves. Where does pride sneak past our defenses showing up in most unfortunate ways? Avoiding pride requires ever present vigilance. We let our guard down for even a moment, and pride can slither into our being.

Where should we focus to avoid the power of pride? James says:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I hope he doesn’t mean to constantly walk around in gloom. But when we recognize pride growing in ourselves, time for optimism and laughter is over. In its place enters a dose of humility and turning to God’s grace to restore our souls.

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Posted in Attitude, Awareness, Humility, pride, Wisdom | 3 Comments »

Where Conflicts Arise

January 22, 2026

Looking for some common-sense deep psychology? Try reading the early Jesus-followers. Try this insight from James in his circular letter to the first gatherings of followers. This also gives us some insight into the first churches. Their problems were not unlike ours.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

My current meditation teacher is leading us into exploration of thoughts and feelings in our sits. We learn to sit in awareness and observe. Then, perhaps, we label those thoughts and feelings—memories, plans, imaginings, for example. We learn that these things arise. We also learn to observe and recognize them. But not to let them monopolize us.

Do we desire something? Recognize it. Deal with it. Let it drift away. Through awareness we prevent it from grabbing our inner powers and derailing our spiritual path.

Let us check our motives and desires. Are we focused only on ourselves? Are we focused on what we desire for others? That’s entirely different. Evaluate your motives. Intentionally push them toward God’s wishes.

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