About Me

Not raised a Christian or in any other religion or as an atheist, my parents never said a word—good or ill—about Jesus, Christianity or Christians, by middle school, I figured out that the Virgin Birth and Resurrection never happened.

 In my first year after college working as a counselor/teacher/coach at a boarding high school, the combination of wilderness education trips and mentoring young people sparked my spiritual life. Soon, a fire blazed as I was consumed by answering questions like what’s it all about? How am I to live? Where did we come from? Where are we going?

Like most of you, I spent years exploring and experiencing these questions and some answers: reading books, trying various spiritual practices, venturing into the wilderness, talking with people, attending workshops and retreats.

And then, after seven years at the school and on the verge of a sabbatical, my contract was not renewed.  The dismissal did not hurt much at first. I was stunned, not yet feeling humiliated and we had to get ready for a baby. However, after the summer, when my wife and I returned to the school for the first faculty get together, as she still worked there, I felt crushed as I looked around at my ex-colleagues. The firing mortified me for months as I brooded on my failures, shortcomings, and mistakes.

 By Thanksgiving, I had recovered enough to put in place my own personal rite of passage with ideas I had gathered from all the studying and experiences of the last seven years. I studied every morning and then after parenting our two little ones for the day, I focused on this effort again at night.

 Four months later, while dancing around my yard, I had a mystical experience that opened shook the soul and led to this book: an account of my own quest and discoveries which has mostly similarities but some differences to the winding paths of so many people yearning to understand this life and how to live it.