Much like the shepherds during the first Christmas, people around the world had their attention turned toward the heavens 47 years ago tonight, when the astronauts of Apollo 8 delivered their famous Christmas Eve broadcast from lunar orbit. In some ways, this year was a tough year for our nation, but 47 years ago, 1968 was very difficult. The year begin with the North Vietnamese Tet offensive in Vietnam, where the war entered it’s fifth year. In April, Martin Luther... Read more
We’ve all seen A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Emmy award-winning TV program that has charmed audiences for 50 years. As Charlie Brown struggles with the commercialism of Christmas, Linus reminds him of what Christmas is all about. The Christian messages are both obvious and subtle. Linus was actually a contemporary of Paul and active in the early church. The soundtrack includes the hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Hark the herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King! Peace on... Read more
The eighth night of Hanukkah, 84 years ago: 84 years ago, hate, vitriol and racist lies were reaching a fever pitch, sweeping across the land of my ancestors. (http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/menorah-defies-nazi-flag/) We in the United States face unabashed fascism and shameless hate today. “. . . granting 10,000 Syrian refugees asylum on our shores is not fascism. But barring them, or blocking any and all Muslim persons from entering the U.S. simply because of their religion and because one person—one single person of that... Read more
About 10 years ago I saw Tony Campolo speak. His message included a suggestion of how we can help others. He cited the common bad idea that “we can’t save them all.” But, he said, we could save one. A way to do that was through a child sponsorship with World Vision. Since then, I’ve supported a little girl and her family in Haiti. I’ve also volunteered at events, where I’ve helped others become sponsors. Perhaps because I have a... Read more
The Lynchburg, Virginia school asserts on its website, “Liberty University provides a world-class education with a solid Christian foundation, equipping men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for success in every aspect of life.” Speaking about the Dec. 3 shooting in San Bernardino, Ca., Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. suggested Friday that more students, staff and faculty get permits to carry concealed weapons. Within a day, dozens of people had already begun the process of obtaining... Read more
This week on Facebook I unfriended and blocked one of my best friends from high school. For sometime, it’s been clear we’ve grown in different directions in our lives. He can’t understand the concept of white privilege and I can’t understand how he’s still a fan of the Grateful Dead when he has such conservative views. I still remember the day he heard the Grateful Dead for the first time. In the mid-1980s, when we went to his first Dead... Read more
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