Few white folks would recognize the poem above or connect it to the lyrics from a song sung famously by black blues singer Billie Holiday. In fact, it was her theme song, and she was often barred from singing it except in her more exclusive appearances in New York Café Society. I myself was not aware of it until I read The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone…

A while ago in one of Father Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations, he referenced a book entitled The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance by Dorothee Soelle. The title appealed to me and I purchased a copy, read it, studied it, and read it again. Dorothee Soelle (1929-2003) was a remarkable human being. She was a social activist, a theologian, and an erstwhile professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. And, oh, yes, she was a mystic! READ MORE

A reminder this Sunday, July 19, there will be a meeting of the Ohio Chapter of Illuman hosted by one of the members in Northeastern Ohio. The meeting begins with a potluck and then is followed by a program. Please contact us by phone or email for details and to participate. All men on a spiritual journey are welcome.