The street is slick with rain as I make my way through the neighborhood past shuttered windows and closed doors. I’m headed to the place where the road bends for a visit. It’s been a while since we talked. Leaves skid dryly across the road to my right like rustling stalks of corn, like a letter as it’s opened. I watch themContinue reading “Fireworks (An Autumn Prayer)”
Author Archives: jeshuahayden
August, Adam Duritz, and the Art of Rejoicing in the Rain
At some point during my college years, I started going for long walks in the rain. While this practice may sound strange to you, it wasn’t that unusual as far as I was concerned. I’d loved rainfall for as long as I could remember. Everything about it was magical to me – the pattering ofContinue reading “August, Adam Duritz, and the Art of Rejoicing in the Rain”
Emmaus
I read some poetry todayby a man who talked about the earthlike an old friend.It was just a neat ideauntil I stepped onto the deckand heard in the creaking of wooden boardsthe tones of a voice I recognized,until I felt in the windthat welcome breath of soil after rain,until I saw in the patchwork quiltContinue reading “Emmaus”
The Celts, the Coronavirus, and the Kingdom of God
With all the news and chaos surrounding the recent spread of the Coronavirus, you may have forgotten that today is St. Patrick’s day. I sure haven’t. March 17 is an opportunity for the people of the Emerald Isle to celebrate their history and cultural heritage. It’s also an opportunity for those of us who wishContinue reading “The Celts, the Coronavirus, and the Kingdom of God”
Brokenness, Beauty, and the Ballad of Samwise Gamgee
There’s a great moment near the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers that I’ve been pondering recently. The scene is set in Osgiliath, a military outpost on the edge of the noble kingdom of Gondor. Osgiliath is under siege, targeted by dragons that are dive-bombing it from the sky and ripping its rampartsContinue reading “Brokenness, Beauty, and the Ballad of Samwise Gamgee”
The War and the Waymaker: Echoes of Easter in 1917
What do World War I and Holy Week have in common? Earlier this week, my dad and brothers and I watched Sam Mendes’ acclaimed war film 1917. It’s an amazing movie. The acting is terrific, the narrative is gripping, and the cinematography is unreal. If you’ve seen the film, then you know what I mean. 1917 was nominated forContinue reading “The War and the Waymaker: Echoes of Easter in 1917”
The World We’re Made For
I can’t stop listening to “Where I’m From,” the new single from one of my favorite bands, Colony House. Here’s why: The song begins with these lines: Where I’m fromIlluminated lanterns glowAnd never flickerWhen storm winds blow The singer, Caleb Chapman, is telling us about his homeland. The first image that he uses to describeContinue reading “The World We’re Made For”
Jesse’s Favorites of 2019
As the new year begins, one of my favorite things to do is look back on the books, movies, and music that were most impactful and thought-provoking for me throughout the past year. I love year-end favorites lists because they encourage thoughtful reflection on art and gratitude for the stories that shape us. In lightContinue reading “Jesse’s Favorites of 2019”
Walking the Way of the Cross: Glimpsing Christ in “A Hidden Life”
“I thought that we could build our nest high up – fly away like birds to the mountains…” These are the first words that we hear in Terrence Malick’s new movie A Hidden Life. Shortly afterwards, we’re plunged into a world of startling beauty – the forested mountain slopes of Austria. Here, in the tiny villageContinue reading “Walking the Way of the Cross: Glimpsing Christ in “A Hidden Life””
Breaking and Entering: Santa Claus and the Perilous Adventure of Christmas
There’s a moment near the beginning of Klaus, a 2019 animated film about the origins of Santa Claus, that I can’t stop thinking about. Here’s the scene: Jesper, a skinny and anxious post officer, is standing in the snow with a package in hand, peering through a foreboding iron gate at an even more foreboding house, andContinue reading “Breaking and Entering: Santa Claus and the Perilous Adventure of Christmas”
Words for Wayfarers 