The Light, the Thunder, and the Rain. But mostly the Light. A Pilgrim’s Odyssey is your daily dose of hope navigating family, faith, and living free. Silouan Green, The Pilgrim’s Odyssey host, began to find his own answers after a tragic jet crash on an epic 23-month, over 20,000 mile motorcycle trip. Since then, he has taught thousands to take positive action in facing the trials and traumas of life. Life is complicated. Where are you going?
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
"I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's."
"Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable."
"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
Concerns like these of Mark Twain seem to be more poignant than ever. The public, yet private, nature of social media makes it easier for people turn to discourse into a game of gotcha and emotion.
My suggestion, do more of the following: work on your listening, writing, and editing abilities. Make sure you’ve asked yourself, is this logical, is it supported, what is influencing my opinion? We teach our kids logic and latin from a young age. I believe this is one reason that while our oldest are now teenagers and early-twenties we still have great relationships and discuss things. We taught them how to think and talk and listen. We all can learn from that.
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Monday Dec 07, 2020
79 years ago, at 7:55am on Sunday, Dec. 7th, 1941. Pearl Harbor was attacked by an overwhelming Japanese force. All 8 Battleships present were damaged and 4 were sunk. 8 other ships were damaged or destroyed. 188 Aircraft were destroyed, and 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 were wounded.
In a moment, in an instant, people’s lives were changed forever, the trajectory of our country’s history immediately altered. Seconds before that first bomb, people were drinking coffee and frying eggs, feeling blessed by a beautiful Hawaii morning. Some were getting ready for Church, others for a day at the beach, or lounging around the house. For those in the military, maybe a day spent on watch or some much appreciated time off.
But the bombs were coming and they had no idea.
Isn’t life that way? Whether it’s a car wreck, or death, or the consequences of a bad decision or just bad luck. One minute you are alone in the universe of your mind, and then next, BAM!
How do you recover? Like we did in 1941, all hands on deck, united, ready to do whatever it takes to fight back.
Friday Dec 04, 2020
Friday Dec 04, 2020
The essence of faith is humility. The recognition we need something greater than us.
As I get older, most people I've seen lose their faith do so because of a lack of humility. While they may feel broken, their ego doesn't allow them to see a way out of their pain. We see hardship, we want things our way, and often we feed our ego by making proclamations on our creator.
But there is another way. As this humility led homesteaders in the 1800s to build churches and be there all day on Sunday. It can lead us to our knees, to our church, to our bible.
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
Do you approach your day asking for spiritual nourishment?
Do you focus on things that feed the soul?
When I left home this morning my wife had been up early with our youngest kids. Mercy was watching a math video and my wife and our youngest, Julius, were curled up on the couch watching with her. As I gathered my things, my wife looked up with a smile and said, “I could stay here all day.”
That is the power of the spiritual, the things from God. They allow us to enter into the eternal. This is the life we were created for, this is what happens when we feast off of celestial nourishment.
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
We have a path to reaching our potential, a potential in the image of God. But to begin this path, we must recognize one thing:
"all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God."
It is judgement and discernment that allows us to recognize this. Without discernment, we are slaves to the things that darken our souls. Without judging and discernment, we are hopeless.
When we recognize why and what we are judged for, all that is before us is a path to draw closer and closer to the glory God has created for us to follow.
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
What soil are you tilling?
From Ilias the Presbyter in the Philokalia, he quit his job as a lawyer to join the clergy and did so around the year 1100:
“You will not be able to cut down the passions attacking you unless you first leave untilled the soil from which they are fed.”
What are the passions you fight: gluttony, greed, lust, and other unclean thoughts and activities? What is the soil of these thoughts and activities – TV, internet, movies, music, magazines, media, the wrong people?
How do we till the right soil? It starts with the right mindset for gardening our soul.
From Ilias:
“Many may be stripped of the coat of self-love, but few of the coat of worldly display; while only the dispassionate are free from self-esteem, the last coat of all.”
What is the soil that must be tilled for the dispassionate, those free of the passions that attack us? It is the soil of prayer, the soil of fasting, it is the soil of love of others.
I’ve spent a lot of time meeting and working with those in recovery from drugs. One key point, if you return to the same environment where you used, you will most certainly use again. In many ways, finding a new environment is one of the hardest, if not the hardest battles an addict faces. This is exactly what Ilias is talking about, eventually, the soil we grow from is what we become.
Monday Nov 30, 2020
Monday Nov 30, 2020
I was reading from The Life of The Mary, The Mother of Jesus, The Theotokos. It is about 600 pages long. Outside of the bible, where does all that information come from you may ask? Well, tradition.
We can’t have that you may say. But the bible itself says the following:
From the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “Stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught.”
This must have been very important to Paul as he met Jesus after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, but he was not witness to all the acts before that, the entirety of the Gospels. How did he learn at a time when there was no bible and few letters in circulation? Through word of mouth, through tradition.
I bring this up because as we find ourselves in the middle of the Holiday season, it reminds me of the importance of traditions, coming together, the passing down of knowledge. Very little of what you see on the internet or in the news reflects your own actual day, your own personal life. It is a detachment. It is through traditions that we have historically passed down the things important to us about life, faith, politics, etc.
How well do we do that anymore? In my opinion, horribly. Think of how many families don’t have frequent family meals, don’t play games together, etc. What is being passed on? Well, not much except bad examples of family and tradition.
How can we stand fast and hold traditions if they are not taught?
We just did our annual Christmas Tree hunt at Cruise In Trees, a family tree farm near us. All my children were there, and my sister-in-law and her family joined us for the third year. We got a great picture in front of the tree we were about to cut down, and I put it on Instagram. It was soon one of my most popular posts. Why? Young and old, single or big family, we all crave the love and security of traditions.
Now, there are plenty of people wanting to teach you, your family, and friends new traditions. And if you let them, they will be the voice in your head. But is that what you want, others to create and define your traditions, your beliefs?
Who will be the voice in your head?
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Today we are wrapping up a short week of peace before the Thanksgiving holiday.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 directs us to “Pray without ceasing”.
Ilias the Presbyter warns us of what happens when it is something other than prayer that we do without ceasing.
“If the intellect has become so closely attached to worldly thoughts through its inveterate involvement with them, how intimate would it not become with prayer if it prayed unceasingly? For, it is said, the intellect will flourish in whatever it makes its constant occupation.”
Inveterate: having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
What changes can you make in order to learn to pray without ceasing? What will control your thoughts and ultimately your actions - worldly things, or spiritual things?
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
More today from the Philokalia, Volume 3, and St. Peter of Damascus. The kingdom of heaven is right here, and the simple things in life can lead you to it.
"How witless we are when, for the sake of things that are paltry and transient, we do not aspire to receive great and eternal blessings. We reject what is good and pursue the opposite. What can be simpler than giving a glass of cold water or a piece of bread, or than refraining from one’s own desires and petty thoughts? Yet through such things the kingdom of heaven is offers up to us, by the grace of Him who said: “Behold, the kingdom of heaven is within you” Luke 17:21. For, as St. John of Damascus say, the kingdom of heaven is not far away, not outside us, but within us. Simply choose to overcome the passions, and you will possess it within you because you live accordance with God’s will."
Simple things like telling stories to my kids, and sitting alone with my wife are where I'm reminded the Kingdom of heaven is never far.
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Monday Nov 23, 2020
We are kicking off this Thanksgiving week with a reminder to stay in the moment. With so much chaos, it is probably a good idea to focus on the things that matter: family, friends, faith, and gratefulness.
How do we learn the patience to truly focus? The Philokalia gives us some direction:
“We should realize that God’s grace is disciplining us, teaching us to be humble and to recognize whence we receive our strength and knowledge, “so that we should rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9
And if that doesn't work, try playing a little UNO! It worked for me yesterday, thanks to my daughter, Mercy!