I was sitting at my computer, gasping for breath, trying to contain the internal anguish as I remembered Bill Gothard. That anguish gushed uncontrollably as I finished watching “Shiny, Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets,” now streaming on Amazon Prime. As part of it, I saw some old footage of Bill Gothard teaching one of his many Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBLC) seminars. As the camera panned the packed coliseum, I realized I could be one of the people in... Read more
I suspect few of us can understand the price Joe Biden has paid to live out his deep Catholic faith in the unforgiving public eye. This photo displays the church where Joe Biden worships when he is home in Wilmington, Delaware, St. Joseph on the Brandywine. It’s also where my husband spent his elementary school years and the site of not only the graves of my husband’s parents but also where President Biden’s father, mother, first wife, Neilia, infant daughter,... Read more
A human universal: We learn and grow the most when we are uncomfortable, when our current ways of thinking are challenged. My husband exploded with rage across the breakfast table. He was reading the Sunday Telegraph, a British newspaper, and had just learned that HarperCollins publishers are “rewriting” most of beloved British mystery novelist Agatha Christie’s books to remove “objectionable language.” See the story here. As in “God forbid that anyone become even the slightest bit uncomfortable by reading fun mysteries... Read more
If the oppression of women is what Allah demands, then that conception of Allah deserves nothing but contempt. Let me elaborate here. That Afghanistan is a nation of starving people barely makes the news anymore. The suffering was horrible two years ago, and appeared to worsen last year. They are now deep into their cold, cold winter months with a large percentage of the population down to absolute zero in resources. On top of being ruled by the Taliban, a group... Read more
Let our major New Year resolution be to look for the sacred in everything, even the flaws we think we have that need to be “corrected.” Our flaws could be someone else’s blessings. We are now in the early days of 2024. As do many with the calendar change, I have both looked back and looked forward. I cleaned out files, drawers, and closets in preparation. These activities also clear my mind and soul. The idea of a clean slate... Read more
The mending kits showed up first as I searched for thread in the same color family as the pillowcase. Perhaps they are metaphors of grace, ways to redeem everything we do. Fevers and chills Illness has invaded here. My husband spent the night alternately sweating and freezing. He felt a bit better this morning, and I’m somewhat recovering from whatever I have, so decided to strip the bed down to the mattress and give everything a good wash. As I... Read more
With the privilege of retirement, I awaken slowly many mornings and enter my morning ritual. I stay quietly in bed, beginning the day with prayer and some moments of meditation. These days, I particularly consider the fact that, daily, that morning ritual is accompanied by the comfort of a decent bed, comfortable bed linens, and a quiet, temperature-controlled environment. My thoughts then move to the people of Ukraine, with innocent civilians relentlessly bombarded by Russian ruthlessness and subhuman cruelty, coupled... Read more
The big question: Why aren’t there more liberal Christians? I remember when I begin my own move from the very conservative religious world into a progressive, more liberal, freer religious world how terribly frightening it was. I couldn’t find a roadmap. The rules were unclear. I had to make too many decisions. It was exhausting to have to think for myself all the time. Agreeing to disagree is a truly terrifying stance as one has to let go of absolute... Read more
The research was thorough and worldwide and the results clear: Religious beliefs matter AND religious people hate to be stereotyped. As in, stop doing that. It doesn’t help. Why religious beliefs matter so much The Faith and Media Initiative conducted the study using an impressive set of participants from countries around the world representing multiple faith groups. The full report can be found here. But the summary is fairly simple: for multiple reasons, the media does a truly awful job... Read more
If we really want to protect children, for heaven’s sake, ban the Bible! And, for sake of consistency, keep those kids away from church. There’s a lot of talk these days about removing certain books and restraining teachers from speaking of various subjects that might cause “discomfort” in their students. Most of these restrictions are driven by a group of people who generally identify as Christian. From what I can discern, these parents don’t want their children to have the... Read more
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