I was watching the first hour of NBC’s Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday night and was introduced to a new song that I think warrants becoming a Christmas classic: Darius Rucker’s “What God Wants for Christmas.” An original song that Rucker co-wrote with Frank Rogers and Monty Powell for his new “Home for the Holidays” album, it’s grounded in the religious meaning of the holiday and delivers a perfect sacred message in what can seem an increasingly... Read more
Riding the 7 train to Manhattan every morning, I’m used to hearing the subway conductor make announcements about standing clear of the closing doors, being aware of suspicious packages, and taking all your belongings with you when you reach your destination. But this morning the conductor added a message of his own that was unexpected, yet appropriate. While my memory is not so perfect that I can remember his exact wording, here is the gist of his message: Please be... Read more
If there are a group of people in modern history who are thought of as irredeemable, it’s the Nazis. Truth be told, the orchestrators of the genocide of the Jewish people and the murders of millions of others certainly didn’t “deserve” any kind of mercy. Yet at the end of World War II, two American Army chaplains – Rev. Henry Gerecke, a Lutheran minister, and Father Sixtus O’Connor, a Catholic priest – made an unprecedented attempt to save the souls... Read more
(Editors’ Note: This article is part of the Patheos Public Square on Heroes of 2014. Read other perspectives here.) “Your heroes will help you find good in yourself.” That’s a line from country music star Randy Travis’s 1990 hit “Heroes and Friends,” and it perfectly encapsulates what our culture should look for when we dub people “heroes” in both the real world and in fictional storytelling. As somebody who works for an organization that promotes the idea that “it’s better... Read more
(Photo via New York Daily News) Last week, Wayne Coffey of New York’s Daily News wrote a powerful profile about West Point senior Dion Hart and his mother Leah Chavez who survived major difficulties over the course of their lives because of the power of love. Here’s an excerpt. When you grow up in the deep end, you better learn to swim. Dion Hart found that out long before he got to West Point, or ever swam a stroke in... Read more
In this week’s video reflection, Father Jonathan Morris reflects on the fundamental option for God. What does that mean? It has to do with making the decision that your life is for God, the decision that inspires you to say, “I’m going to live for God and His will for me.” So how do you get to that point? And what if you fall short? Father Jonathan has some answers. Read more
There aren’t a lot of rock albums out there that were partially inspired by G.K. Chesterton, so Jonathan Jackson + Enation have created something unique. Jonathan is a five-time Emmy winner for his role as Lucky Spencer on “General Hospital” – and he now stars in the TV series “Nashville” as musician Avery Barkley. But Jonathan doesn’t just play a singer-songwriter on television; he’s actually been making music for much of his life and continues to do so with his... Read more
Two-time “Christopher Closeup” guest and “American Idol” alum Brooke White posted a new song online recently called “Something Divine.” She actually wrote the music and lyrics many years ago in response to a good friend who was experiencing a hard time in her life and enduring a crisis of faith. Now that Brooke and her husband Dave are the parents of a young daughter, the song’s message has acquired another layer of meaning – a layer that reminds children that... Read more
The NBC TV series “Parenthood” is one of those shows that looks good, but I simply haven’t found time to watch. However, writer Kate O’Hare has a piece up today at CatholicVote about how one character’s unplanned pregnancy played out in a choice for life. Here’s an excerpt: It’s one thing when the Church urges young women to choose life, but it’s quite another thing to see one woman’s decision played out in a secular context on primetime network television.... Read more
The following is the text of the Christopher News Note “Listening When God Speaks” (which was written by a freelancer). If you’d like a pdf or hard copy, see the end of this post: “Oh that today you would listen to His voice! Do not harden not your hearts.” These words from Psalm 95 offer seemingly simple advice to those of us who try to follow Christ today. They tell us that we must open our hearts to God’s will... Read more
Christopher Closeup
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