Description

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You catch a glimpse of it in the eyes of a playful child, responding to the smile of an old man, celebrating the vibrancy now lost but not forgotten, reenacted in life You catch a glimpse of it in the eyes of a child, responding to the energy still at work in one so small. The child is dancing in the aisles of the library, where the mother, with loving care, seeks to open the eyes of that child to the wonders of art and stories to awaken the imagination, moving him toward a creative wondrous life. How is it that the spark of life is so easily forgotten in the routine of adults, caught in the web of a literal and fixed view of reality.

About the Author

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Norman K. Bakken, a retired minister of the Lutheran Church in America, has served pastorates in Seattle and New York City, prior to thirty years as a professor at seminaries and universities in the United States, Brazil, Jamaica, Indonesia, Tanzania, and India. He holds a B.A. from Augsburg College, and a M.Div. from Luther Theological Seminary. He has a PHD from Union Theological Seminary. He was honored with several research grants and teaching awards, including an Outstanding Educators of America Citation. His home town is Everett, Washington, where he met his lifelong companion, Virginia Vigue Bakken (Ginger). Together they raised four children, Minda, Mark, Mary, and John. Through them they are now the proud grandparents of Marija and Tiana, children of Peter Ozolins and Mary Bakken, and Mateo, son of John and Liza Wenacur Bakken. Ginger died in 2012. Norman resides At Brandon Oaks Retirement Center in Roanoke, Virginia where is a leading light on matters of spirituality.