Since the day the person currently occupying the White House was elected, the following thought has kept coming to me, over and over again. The problem is not the person in office; the problem is the millions of people who put him there and who continue to support him. The part that really gets toContinue reading “The problem”
Category Archives: faith
Jesus wept
Jesus wept (John 11:35 KJV). Known as the shortest one in the Bible, this verse has stuck with me all my life. Lately I have wept a lot, too. I’m learning how good it is to do so, even if the reasons for this emotion are mostly negative. We all have troubles, although many faceContinue reading “Jesus wept”
Numbness and inertia
Two words that come close to describing my state of being lately are numbness and inertia. It is like I am infected with some sort of drug that makes it hard for me to feel, and hard for me to do. Intellectually I see these things and am aware that there is a problem, butContinue reading “Numbness and inertia”
America doesn’t get a vote in the matter
As the United States convulses at the murder of yet another black person, my thoughts return to a recent opinion piece in the New York Times (“Ahmaud Arbery and the America That Doesn’t Exist”), written in response to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery earlier this year. Written by theology professor and minister, Dr. Esau McCaulley,Continue reading “America doesn’t get a vote in the matter”
Yeah, I’m worn
I have often thought about the lyrics of the following song, performed by Tenth Avenue North, because they express how I so frequently feel. That is true today as well. Yeah, I’m worn, and my heart is heavy — heavy for so many people. Heavy for ongoing injustices especially against people of color; heavy forContinue reading “Yeah, I’m worn”
A critical view of returning to campus
A decision has been made by my employer to reopen for in-person, on campus instruction in the Fall. There are important details about the plan that need to be fully understood when assessing it critically. However, communication about this decision has focused on how great it will be to be together again (in comparison toContinue reading “A critical view of returning to campus”
A favorite hymn
One of my favorite hymns of all time, one that carries many memories of times past and provides ongoing comfort as well. Written by Horatio G. Spafford in 1873. When peace like a river attendeth my way,when sorrows like sea billows roll;whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,“It is well, it is wellContinue reading “A favorite hymn”
Distrust and verify
Recent events cause me to think, and then write, about the trustworthiness of what we read or what we are told or what we see. Thus, my post title’s twist on the slogan, “trust but verify.” A simple example is the nonexistent G.K. Chesterton quote I wrote about a few days ago. I read theContinue reading “Distrust and verify”
A good quote…or is it?
Recently I read the following quote, attributed to G.K. Chesterton. I thought it a very good one, worth sharing: “To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” The problem is that so far, I cannot verify that Chesterton everContinue reading “A good quote…or is it?”
The OW Factor 