You don’t need to believe in the the spiritual nature of the the Bible, Torah, or Q’ran to understand their impact on history. Whether you believe any of the religious doctrines surrounding those three books or not, you’d better study the stories in them to understand history. The longest lasting, most troublesome feud on earth, one that still rages on, comes straight from these books. In fact, it comes straight from one family. When you get right to the root... Read more
As the bizarre presidency of Donald Trump continues to spiral into uncharted waters of peculiarity, talk of impeachment is gaining momentum. At the moment I write this, Trump’s approval rating is hovering somewhere below 40% and his disapproval rating is nearing historically high territory. It has just been reported that Mr. Trump is, indeed–despite his seemingly obsessive need to show otherwise–under FBI investigation for obstruction of justice. While part of me would love to see this embarrassing circus leave town,... Read more
Genesis 1:14-19 reads: 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.... Read more
When a writer decides to take a public stand on a controversial issue, he had better be prepared for some push back. You simply can’t expect consensus. You can only hope to get people thinking and, perhaps, open a healthy dialogue. A good, respectful exchange of different opinions is essential to expanding minds. We need to be pushed and challenged on a regular basis so that we test our own knowledge and faith. A few weeks ago, I wrote an... Read more
As the presidency of Donald Trump continues to spiral in troubling circles of bizarreness, some on the far religious right seem to be circling the wagons. As the President’s approval ratings linger around 40% and his behavior continues to keep much of the world scratching their heads in bewilderment, some of the most vocal of the ultraconservative Christians are becoming more aggressive in their support. Sadly, this can only serve to further divide an already greatly divided church. The ultimate... Read more
I thought about you a lot today. It was a pretty grueling yardwork day at my house. There was a big job to do and nobody capable of doing it but me. Sure, I could have hired someone to do it, but that’s not what you taught me or my dad. You taught us that, when there is a job to do, you grab your tools and get after it. You stay with it until you figure out a way... Read more
It’s no secret that President Trump is a big proponent of school choice and vouchers. His selection of Betsy DeVos to head up the U.S. Department of Education was, perhaps, one of his most controversial appointments. Mrs. DeVos has little to no pedigree in education. Her main qualification for the job appears to have been that she donated a boatload of money to the campaigns of many top GOP candidates. That, and she is a bulldog for school choice and vouchers... Read more
Sometimes in life, a set of unplanned circumstances come together in the perfect time and place to set in motion a series of events that completely change your life. Sometimes that leads to disaster but, just now and then, you get really lucky. My life as a hockey fan began in such a way. The date was Saturday, December 27th, 2014. I was on a mini-vacation in Nashville, Tennessee. I had driven down from Indianapolis with my wife and daughter.... Read more
Recently, New Orleans has been in the news for the controversial efforts, led by Mayor Mitch Landrieu, to remove monuments to Confederate leaders found around the city. Several long standing memorials and statues have been taken down. This past week, the last one came down, a monument to Robert E. Lee which proudly towered more than 100 feet into the Cajun skies. With each of the removals, there were protests from both extremes, those who were adamantly against the removal... Read more
Empathy Mining
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To my daughter, with love, on Fathers’ Day
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 It was March, 2002, the day we first met, face to face. You were not as thrilled to meet me as I was you. Your world, such as it was, was about to be turned upside down and you were, no doubt, confused about what was happening. The man from the orphanage in Nanning, China called out our last name and your new mother... Read more