The Pilgrims Correspondence

                        Christian Greetings Brethren, Poverty is a funny and fickle thing. It can influence a great amount of resilience for people who grow up with it, while also placing heavy restrictions upon individual societies and families who find themselves within its grasp. President James Garfield once talked about not praising poverty, saying instead that we should imagine what individuals could achieve if they had just had a little bit more. That idea was deeply personal to him. Garfield was born in a frontier cabin, came from very humble beginnings, and later taught at what would become Hiram College, then known as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. He carried the memory of scarcity with him even as he rose to become president of the United States. That quote has always made me think, especially about how differently his life might have looked if opportunity ha...

Christian Greetings Brethren, The question “Should Israel be able to defend itself?” is often treated as a political issue, debated in terms of borders and international law. Tho, when one reads the Old Testament carefully, it becomes clear that the question is fundamentally theological. The problem is that many assume Israel, as a modern nation-state, is equivalent to Israel in the Bible. Such an assumption is a product of dispensationalist thinking, which interprets prophetic texts as literal predictions of modern geopolitics. A closer reading of scripture, however, shows that the twelve tribes were scattered centuries ago and that the covenantal promises associated with Israel are not fulfilled in contemporary politics.  This theological misunderstanding has real political consequences today. Some contemporary figures, like Pete Hegseth, openly frame military engagement in the Middle East as a divine mission, claiming that soldiers are fighting “for Jesus” in Iran to bring about...

  Christian Greetings Beloved,  Troublesome Creek flows for roughly 42 miles through eastern Kentucky, traversing Perry, Knott, and Breathitt counties. Its headwaters begin at the confluence of the Left and Right Forks near Hindman, Kentucky, and its mouth empties into the North Fork of the Kentucky River near Haddix, just outside Jackson. Long before modern industry and coal mining arrived, much of the area surrounding the creek was occupied almost entirely by mountain men and pioneers. Around 1892, William Wolman described the headwaters as pristine; he noted abundant aquatic life in its waters and lush banks lined with rhododendrons. I spent much of my childhood in that same creek, Troublesome. I’ve no doubt that, despite all the tires and other debris, it’s still just as beautiful today as when Wolman saw it in the late 1800s. Among the animals I caught were many types of salamanders, darters, freshwater mussels, snapping turtles (both soft-shell and common), gar, various ...

Christian Greetings Beloved, I write to you with a heart that feels the weight of this moment. The recent election has left many of us feeling shaken, uncertain, and, for some, deeply saddened. The news that former President Trump has won this election is challenging for many who fear the divisions his leadership has sown and the potential for further unrest. Yet, as followers of Christ, we are called to a higher vision—a vision of peace, love, and understanding that transcends political affiliation. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). These words are both a comfort and a challenge. They remind us that our identity as Christians is rooted not in political allegiance but in our commitment to embodying God’s love. Peacemaking is not passive; it is an active commitment to bridge divides, to understand those who differ from us, and to speak and act with humility and compassion. It would be easy to let t...

     Christian Greetings Beloved,      The phrase, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," from Proverbs 9:10, attributed to King Solomon, is well-known. However, examining the original Hebrew reveals nuances lost in many English translations. The phrase reads, “Tov sek-hel Hashem yirat reisheit chokh-ma,” where the term yirat (יראה) suggests meanings closer to reverence or honor than to fear. A more accurate translation would therefore be, "Reverence of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." This nuanced interpretation invites us to consider a deeper connection between wisdom and divinity. Wisdom is intrinsically tied to the nature of God and that a life devoted to wisdom offers profound benefits, even as wisdom and honor frequently intertwine.      Consider, for example, the intellectual who predicts rain from the clouds versus the wise person who, seeing the clouds, prepares appropriately. Wisdom, then, is more than deduction; it...

Christian Greetings Beloved, The Cloud of Unknowing is a profound 14th-century mystical text that guides the reader into a relationship with God that transcends the intellect. The anonymous author suggests that in order to draw close to God, one must move beyond the grasp of the mind. This cloud, which both conceals and reveals, invites the soul into a kind of "unknowing" that feels paradoxical at first but is transformative. For the author, true knowledge of God isn’t found in theological certainties or intellectual clarity but in a place where our hearts are laid bare before Him, open and willing to be transformed. This journey into the "cloud" reflects the Christian doctrine of theosis, or divinization, which is the process of becoming more like God in holiness, love, and character. Theosis is the calling to participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), not by understanding God fully but by entering into a relationship of deep intimacy with Him. Through the mys...