Category Archives: faith

Ready or not

Ready or not, here comes the Fall. I’m not. Ready, that is. On my plate today, among many other things, is to finish grading final papers for my summer class. When I looked at enrollment for my Fall class, I found to my surprise that there are 22 people on the list. That’s more thanContinue reading “Ready or not”

Let justice roll

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24 If I remember correctly, this verse was highlighted in a famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr. The words are stirring and evocative. What comes to my mind here is a mighty river like the Mississippi. Have you ever seenContinue reading “Let justice roll”

Cumulative impact

The many ongoing uncertainties we face are having a cumulative impact. You know the saying, “once bitten, twice shy”? I think there’s a similar principle at work with the pandemic, economic conditions, injustices, poor government leadership, and more. Uncertainties tend to reshape our regular, “healthy” view of life in ways that we may not evenContinue reading “Cumulative impact”

Capacity for hurt

Many separate and unrelated situations lately have been hurtful. This leads me to a thought early in the morning of another day: Our capacity for hurt may be great, but our capacity to forgive must be greater if we are to remain functional and whole. I struggle with the forgiveness part, I’ll admit. It’s especiallyContinue reading “Capacity for hurt”

Secrets and lies and photographs

Fifty years ago, a split happened in the Christian fellowship that my family was a part of going back at least two generations. The split was catastrophic, literally and figuratively tearing apart and destroying families all over the world, separating husbands from wives, parents from children and grandchildren, siblings from siblings, frequently by force. InContinue reading “Secrets and lies and photographs”

Fewer days ahead than behind

For me, there are fewer days ahead than behind. It’s a little weird to think about. What does that mean? What can be done about it? What might change as a result of this reality? Big questions, with few clear answers. For starters, this does not represent some sort of crisis. It just is theContinue reading “Fewer days ahead than behind”

Fuzzy was he

A word I have begun to use a lot lately to describe my state of mind is “fuzzy.” The New Oxford American Dictionary defines the word as “difficult to perceive clearly or understand and explain precisely; indistinct or vague.” Yes, I think that fits. It is hard for me to remember certain things and hardContinue reading “Fuzzy was he”

Certainty

Something most people want is certainty. Part of our collective struggles right now is a significant lack of it. Uncertainty breeds anxiety and fear and leads to all kinds of consequences. I’m convinced, for example, that the core issue behind disastrous support for the current U.S. administration is a wrongheaded reaction to lack of certainty.Continue reading “Certainty”