The national motto of the US should be “shooting problems away.” It is our practice on all levels of our society. We have a culture of death and nihilism. The culture centers on one piece of technology – the gun. Presidents have learned to increase their popularity they should do some sort of military action. Policing requires more agencies with military style weapons. Ordinary citizens believe they are justified in shooting someone else over any felt disrespect. “Going postal” was... Read more
Truthfulness is goodness. Unless, one is engaged in a social situation. How many times do we hide from truth? I think, if we were honest, we would say often. But what about social situations? Can truthful speaking cause harm? A few of us can think of scenarios where we would withhold the truth. Is a potential conflict involved? Would everything go smoothly with just a small lie? And always the question, “where is the harm?” Is Diogenes still looking for... Read more
“People are tired of the hypocrisy of the church.” I hear this said a lot. But it is wrong. People are tired of the banality of the church. A recent study by Gallup demonstrates that church membership is claimed by less than half the population in the United States. This is happening in spite of the fact that denominational leaders are feverishly attempting to make churches grow. I believe, after thirty years of living in the problem, I know what’s... Read more
I adopted the practice of observing Lent as an adult. I had some unlearning to do before I could though. It was not easy. But I managed to question my way into doing it. I learned, as a child, I was supposed to pray. Prayer was done at meals (occasionally) and at bedtime. As a got older the message was that there was more to praying than having a set time to prayer. You could theoretically pray at any time.... Read more
“And who is my neighbor?” We are familiar with the scribe’s question to Jesus. It prompts him to tell the parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 29-37). What bothers me about the parable is that the Samaritan does not know the man who he helps. The robbery victim is anonymous to the Samaritan. The scribe (and we) presume he is a Jew. Why? Because the scribe is. Jesus asks who was acting as a neighbor to the victim. “The... Read more
Is being inclusive a virtue? If so what does excluding other people mean? Is it a vice, a moral evil, or a character flaw? Why do some people value finding ways to include other people? Why do other people value excluding others? What is happening when a person wishes to include you while excluding other people important to you? Close Encounter With A Closed Mind We were paying the check at aa Chinese restaurant when a friend of a friend... Read more
I gave my sermon for the final Sunday in Lent yesterday. I describe how life contains desires many of which we don’t know about. Our greatest surprises are gifts from people who know us so well they present us with gifts we don’t expect. It is a curious fact of life. But there was one part that I did not develop beyond its being a paradox within another one. The Life Verse “Those who love their life will lose it,... Read more
Miguel A. De La Torre discussed his new book on Crackers and Grape Juice a few days ago. Decolonizing Christianity is not written for me. I read it anyway. I am a southern white protestant male who is a descendent of Confederate soldiers and supporters of Jim Crow era segregation. The book is written to people who are victimized by the system that produced me. I own that. I would not be where I am today except for it. And I mix... Read more
Saint Patrick is a symbol of Irish nationalism. He and the Harp of Tara are quickly recognizable. They are good beer sellers. Green beer on St. Paddy’s day and dark as sludge Guinness every other day. Then there are the shoemaker elves- the Leprechauns -promising crocks of gold when captured. Wear your green lest you get pinched for dishonoring the day and your heritage. When people look at this stuff and think it is nonsense, they are correct. Because, as... Read more
Christians opposing healing for other people on moral grounds sounds righteous. Should Christians receive the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Johnson and Johnson because of how it was developed? Should we oppose other people from receiving it? The experience of our history shows trends from mere opposition to prohibition. And so, the step toward self-righteous accusation of others crops up in our dialogue. Healing In The Synagogue It was all right for Jesus to teach in the synagogue. I bet the... Read more
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