I went out to check on the garden and found a whole army of roly-polys boiling out from under the black landscaper’s cloth. I ran back in to google roly-polys, in case they would hurt my garden. Thankfully, the answer is no. Roly-polys, more properly called pill bugs and most scientifically called “Armadillidiidae,” are harmless and even beneficial in small groups, most of the time. They were just eating the compost I’d recently spread on the garden and taking shelter... Read more
I think the most important thing that white people can do to help with the Black Lives Matter movement, is to listen to and amplify Black voices talking about their own experience. This isn’t about me. We shouldn’t be the center of attention. Obviously I’m a blogger and I get paid to talk, so I’ve been talking a lot about my experience. But right now, I just want you to listen to someone very important who can talk about... Read more
Hi folks, this is not a real blog post, I’ll have one of those later today. This is just a monthly reminder that Steel Magnificat, and my family, run almost entirely on tips. I make a very small paycheck, sometimes as high as three figures, from Patheos, for clicks in the United States and couple other countries. All the rest of my income is gratuities from satisfied readers. Think of it as tipping your UBER driver, or a magazine... Read more
Columbus, Ohio, is an ordinary place. I’m not using “ordinary” as a pejorative there; I’m just stating a fact. The population of Columbus is so demographically dead average that I’m told corporations regularly test new products in Columbus, to get an idea of how the entire rest of the United States will react. When I grew up in Columbus wanted an adventure out of a fairy story, but what I got was Leave it to Beaver. My family wasn’t very... Read more
Today I am angry. I am angry and tired of seeing my fellow white Christians behave so shamefully in response to the recent nationwide protests against the brutalization and murder of Black people in our country. I know that many of you are out there listening to and supporting your Black brothers and sisters, and I’m thankful to you. But I’m angry with so many public Christians, and my fellow Catholics in particular, who are giving a shameful, sinful, scandalous... Read more
A friend on social media reminded me that the word “apocalypse” is Greek for “revelation.” That’s what an apocalypse is. Usually, in practice, when you say “apocalypse” you mean “world-ending disaster.” But really, it only means “revelation.” An apocalypse is a lifting of the veil, a dropping of the mask, a making known of something that you couldn’t have known before. I think most people go through an apocalypse or two in their lives; I’ve been through one. When I... Read more
We went for another hike this afternoon. It was cooler than it’s been, and the sunshine was glorious. That used to be rarer at this time of year in Ohio– summers were swampier, but we’ve had droughts the past few years. It was supposed to rain over the weekend, but it didn’t for more than a few minutes, and now it’s sunny. Rosie and I hiked down the ravine again, under the green canopy, past the may apples which... Read more
Today is the feast of Saint Joan of Arc, who fought for freedom against the people oppressing her country; she was excommunicated and burned to death by authorities certain they were doing God’s will. Today is the Saturday before Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles in tongues of fire. Those apostles went forth into all the world, preaching the Kingdom, and all but one was tortured to death by people concerned with law and order. The... Read more
If you are angry about the looting of a Target store, I’m not going to say you shouldn’t be. Destroying other people’s property is wrong. Taking what isn’t yours, unless you need it stay alive and taking it is the only way you can get it, is wrong. Rioting isn’t a good thing. I don’t think the people doing it think it’s a good thing either. They think it’s a necessary thing, and you may disagree. I’m not saying you... Read more
I woke up on Monday to video footage of a white woman lying to the cops about a black man while choking her own dog. A white woman named Amy Cooper was videotaped in Central Park by a black man who was no relation, but happened to share her surname: Christian Cooper. Mr Cooper was a birdwatcher, and he was asking Ms. Cooper to leash her dog. The dog was running unleashed in a part of Central Park called The... Read more
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