Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
With protests against COVID-19 restrictions popping up around the country, I’m wondering if we’re not seeing a display of a new kind of fundamentalism. Christian fundamentalists, a sliver of believers, have been around a long time. They derive their name from adhering to five fundamentals of the faith. Their resulting version of Christianity comes across …
Yesterday I had to get out of the house. The walls were closing in. Every time I thought about doing something normal, I remembered I couldn’t do it because we’re all sheltering in place. Every news source imaginable reminds us of how serious things are. Even our president struck a somber tone as he made …
Of the many stories circulating around the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most bizarre is that of a run on toilet paper. Some stores across the nation are so low on their supply that they have had to ration how many packages a customer can buy. There have been at least two accounts of people …
After witnessing the recent State of the Union speech and its aftermath, I’ve made a resolution. In the election of our next president, I no longer care much about political party, nor even about a conservative or liberal orientation. Rather, after the votes are tallied in November, I hope the result will be the election …
If you’re looking for book suggestions for 2020, you can find some ideas at the Book of the Month page on my website. Each month I post a selection that has been thought provoking and helpful to me. Maybe you’ll find one or two that might interest you. There’s a link on each selection where …
Earlier this month, Nancy Pelosi had a heated exchange with a reporter who asked if she hated President Trump. “As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone,” she said, adding that she prays for the president. This is an admirable statement, and certainly is …
The biblical writers believed in a flat earth. It was the stationary foundation of their world view. Under the flat earth was Sheol, the place of the dead. The sky was the domed firmament that held back water. Above it all was heaven. This sounds so, well, ancient. Good science at the time, but bad …
When a picture circulated of comedian Ellen DeGeneres sitting with former President George W. Bush during a Dallas Cowboys football game, it raised some eyebrows and questions. As Ellen said, in a USA Today story, people asked themselves, “Why is this gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?” The implication seemed to …
There is no monopoly on common sense On either side of the political fence We share the same biology, regardless of ideology Believe me when I say to you I hope the Russians love their children too. –Sting, from his album, Dream of the Blue Turtles, 1985 For those old enough to remember when it …
Abraham Lincoln followed a vision that transcended partisanship. In his second inaugural address, with the Union’s victory assured, he could have piled on. He could have condemned the South and spoken about an eye for an eye. Indeed, our current political climate would have repeatedly fostered animosity through endless tweets. But Lincoln saw the bigger …