Susan Miller, PhD, SD / Integrative Creative & Healing Arts

06/11/2026

06/09/2026

Wise words!

06/05/2026

Too often, the harshest laws people build into their theology are not born from divine love but from human fear, insecurity, and judgment. It can seem easier to place others beneath us than to undertake the more difficult task of transforming ourselves into more loving, compassionate people. In this way, theology can become less about seeking God and more about protecting our own sense of righteousness.
One of evil's most subtle deceptions is convincing people that the harm caused by their beliefs is actually God's will. Because God is rightly understood as the ultimate authority, some assume that every aspect of their interpretation must therefore carry God's approval. As a result, judgments, exclusions, and condemnations that originate in human weakness are attributed to God Himself.
Yet the measure of a theology is not how effectively it condemns others, but how faithfully it reflects divine love. A belief system that leaves wounded people in its wake should cause us to examine whether we are hearing the voice of God or merely the echo of our own fears. The purpose of authentic faith is not to make others the collateral damage of our convictions, but to draw all people closer to the love, mercy, and compassion that flow from God.
If our theology does not make us more loving, more humble, and more merciful, then it is not others who need to be questioned first—it is our theology.

05/30/2026

TO COME HOME TO YOURSELF

May all that is unforgiven in you,
Be released.

May your fears yield
Their deepest tranquilities.

May all that is unlived in you,
Blossom into a future,
Graced with love.

JOHN O'DONOHUE

From his books: To Bless the Space Between Us (US) / Benedictus (Europe)
Ordering Info: https://johnodonohue.com/store

Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland - May 2026
Photo: © Ann Cahill

05/28/2026

🕊️ The First Apostles Were Women

“The first apostles were women. That is not a feminist slogan; it is a historical fact.”
— N.T. Wright, Lecture on the Resurrection, 2008

For centuries, the Church has often treated women’s witness as something to be tolerated rather than trusted. Yet the Gospel begins with Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and Salome standing in the places where many had fled — at the cross, at the tomb, and at the dawn of resurrection. These were disciples in every meaningful sense of the word. They followed Jesus, learned from him, supported his ministry, and remained when others could not.

The wound this quote exposes is not only historical — it’s spiritual. Many of us inherited a version of faith that centered men by default, leaving the rest of the story dimmed or distorted. But Jesus never taught that. The Gospels don’t hide these women; they highlight them.

When Mary Magdalene heard her name spoken by the risen Christ, she became the first preacher of Easter. Joanna and the others carried the same message — not as exceptions, but as trusted witnesses. Revelation did not wait for permission. Jesus entrusted the most world‑changing truth to those society dismissed. That is not rebellion — it is redemption.

“Go and tell my brothers, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
– John 20:17 (NIV)

In that moment, the hierarchy cracked open. Love spoke through voices long ignored, and history began again.

What if the resurrection is still asking us to believe the voices we were taught to overlook?

🤟 Royce