I have long recognized that crossing over a border, be it between Georgia and Florida, or Germany and Switzerland, meant that I was going to happen up a people of a different sort. While it is true that people are people wherever you go, the manifestation of their peopleness is shaped by many things — traditions; religion, or the lack thereof; history; the foods they have available to them; and even the vegetation that surrounds them. I have been to... Read more
We were invited to attend a concert in the village up the road a’piece. Every artist needs a promoter who believes in their work and direct others to it Claire is her mother’s biggest fan. “She wrote a song for me,” Claire says. “Middle child.” Middle children get a bad rap sometimes, but I have grown old enough to recognize that every place has its problems, and its purpose. It’s all a matter of perspective really. Consider this — does... Read more
There is this open-door policy at The Art Factory. Well, not so much of an open door as it is just an overall hospitality thing. Mary Beth Holladay has the gift of hospitality. She’s a terrific hostess, always serving others and creating spaces of beauty for the enjoyment of others. Christine Sine is another who has this gift. Missional hospitality is the right term for it, I think. Hosting Dinner & Dialogue is just one of the many ways The... Read more
There are no protesters in the streets here in Kandern, Germany. No one even mentioned the Zimmerman trial at dinner last night, although several did remark on the beauty of the stone church in the valley below. I learned about the non-guilty decision the same way many people learned of it, through the go-to-news channel of the here and now: Facebook. I saw the photos of protestors via Twitter. And I can only say that from across the big... Read more
An artist is not a special kind of person. In every person is a special kind of artist. A. K. Coomaraswamy I’ll confess, I was more than a little sad to leave our sweet room and the city of Amsterdam. There was still so much I had not seen yet. I did manage to get by the Hidden Church before leaving town, and was able to light candles, say some prayers for some very special people who have been heavy... Read more
I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out. – Anne Frank- It is either an appalling thing or a good thing that I have walked more in the past 48 hours in Amsterdam than I did all of last year in America. As we headed out to the Anne Frank home I tried to talk Tim into renting a bike. Yes. Just one. Hopefully with a seat like... Read more
Amsterdam is God’s Rembrandt, a piece of stunningly horrific beauty. Built in 1956, the year I was born, this World War II memorial represents the suffering inflicted upon this region. This, after all, is the place where dozens of youngsters like Anne Frank, like Corrie Ten Boom, participated in very treacherous adventures of hide-and-seek with the Germans. The canals of this town are filled with the tears of those who have known an agony I can only imagine but never comprehend. Just... Read more
Tim and I have been in New England for the past several days, visiting our friends Charlie and Ann-Marie Harootunian. Specifically, we have been in Walpole, Mass., which is a lovely community halfway between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. I first met Charlie in a trailer (naturally) during my first visit to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Charlie is a veteran and a Wall volunteer. What we call one of those Yellow Hatters. Charlie & Ann-Marie’s children (grown) know Tim and... Read more
Here’s the thing I don’t understand about the Affordable Care Act. If the government can force private employees to provide insurance that will pay for contraceptives, then why isn’t the reverse true – why doesn’t the Affordable Care Act force employers to provide insurance to pay for fertility treatments for those woman having trouble getting pregnant? If the federal government can demand that an employer provide health insurance that covers the cost of abortions, then why can’t the federal... Read more
Editor’s Note: Christian Campgrounds seem to have become a theme around here lately, what with Camp Redemption by Raymond Atkins and all. (Tim read it and enjoyed it as well.) Today’s guest post is by the bright and beautiful Jolina Petersheim, whose parents ran a Christian camp. I’ll let her tell you all about it, but once you finish Jolina’s post, hop on over to her website and check out her other stories, and be sure to get your hands... Read more
Karen Spears Zacharias
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