Walks with Beauty

Here are some thoughts on God that will knock your socks off, that is if you were taught, as I was, that, being perfect in some kind of transcendental realm, God is beyond change. Changing, it was assumed, would imply imperfection, and therefore He (we were never taught it could just as well be She) could never change.

To hear Judy Collins, or anyone else for that matter, sing Amazing Grace is not only to have your heart moved but your soul lifted. Who among us has not felt lost, and if we do not at present feel found, this hymn’s hauntingly beautiful faith helps us believe we yet can be. Who among us, blind often to what truly matters, does not feel profoundly grateful for now, at least partially, being able to see?

Nelson Mandela’s recent passing invites a reflection on his legacy by way of comparison with Lincoln and King.

Hello out there. While my given name is Charlie Finn, I have other names including the title of this blog. Back on October 23, 1997 (dates are important to me) as I was driving up to DC from my home near Fincastle, Virginia, and listening to Dances with Wolves on tape, I got to wondering what new name would fit me? What name, in other words, could I imagine Native Americans or Great Spirit giving me? That’s when Walks with Beauty came to me, and it’s felt a part of my identity since.

I first met Charlie about eight years ago. Reading his works and spending more time with him over the years one certainly comes to appreciate and value his gentle and inviting nature. But when I first met Charlie, I was so nervous. You see, at that point I didn't know who Charlie was, I had not yet heard his poems, I didn't know about five decades of love he sent trickling through humanity. Knowing those things might have put me over the top. But in the beginning it was simple: I liked a girl, and Charlie was her father.