Jesus said, “let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” Following through on promises counts–don’t make them if you can’t keep them. Truth frees; lies enslave. Late in 2019, I entered the joy of multiple experiences with troubling customer service. We were finishing up a long, wonderful cruise (with superb customer service!) when it all began with some overly exuberant gift shopping for our large combined family. We faced a significant packing dilemma–as in, “Ain’t no way to... Read more
Will the church survive the Covid-19 damage? Probably not. But the massive uncertainties that just about the entire world now faces also call for massive infusions of creativity, hope, service, and rebirth. I continue to ponder the long-term aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health, and even survival, of churches. Will it survive the Covid-19 damage? As an avid reader of business news, I am aware that, while some businesses are thriving because of the crisis, myriads of others... Read more
Am just wondering: do you see the same pattern I see as I consider our essential workers? Effectively, they are the lowest paid and lowest status people around. Most have little job security; many are poorly treated by their far-better-paid bosses. I am not essential to the well-being of the world. That’s been my fascinating insight from the last few months of Covid-life. Who is essential? Let’s start with sanitation crews. Who is essential? Well, very possibly the most critical... Read more
The “Devil made me do it” becomes the theological basis for conspiracy theories. They are immensely comforting, thus the power of QAnon. I’ve managed to ignore this whole QAnon conspiracy stuff, staying safely cocooned in my protected world of minimal TV news, selected world-class newspaper reading, and a lack of interest in knowing more. But, a Religion News Service article caught my eye–with its suggestion that QAnon theories were making their way into the Evangelical wing of Christianity. Here’s just... Read more
First, we are all going to die. Second, most of us will not die the way we would like to. Third, by denying touch, we condemn our elderly to the worst of all deaths. We may as well put them behind barbed wire and acknowledge that we have imprisoned them. I’ve read one too many news reports now about the lockdowns of nursing homes, and their insistence that those vulnerable elderly no longer receive visits from family members other than... Read more
Yes, Dear COVID Diary, it has been 132 long days. And I expect little change for the next 132 days. Fear hangs in the air, occasionally relieved by puffs of hope of effective vaccines on the horizon. And I pray, morning, night, and in-between. I pray my way across the world, across our nation, across my friends and family. I read history and remember that bad things have always been a part of the human condition, and this is just... Read more
We have no magic wand that says, “OK, we’re just going to dismantle racism and be done with it.” We need consistent, systemic change that affects both all levels of society and the most profound parts of our souls. Here’s a universal life maxim: the dominants of any society always set the rules. True from the schoolroom to the boardroom, from the church council to the war room, from the prison cell to the palace. The person/group with the most... Read more
In other words, with all due respect to the Star Trek enemy collective named The Borg, “Resistance is futile; You will be infected.” Although most will be fine, we are going to lose beloved loved ones, both the elderly and our friends and relatives who are immunocompromised. We are going to see devastation among the lowest economic rungs of our society, and especially among the minority populations. We need a theology to deal with this. Perhaps a piece of chocolate... Read more
There is one, and only one, vital key to getting through this crisis: always, always work toward kindness in voice, tone, and touch. Such a move will not eliminate the craziness, but kindness is, thank goodness, amazingly contagious, perhaps even more so than the virus that causes COVID-19. I entered the front door after a good walk Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, the walls of our house closed in on me as the ever-beneath-the-surface claustrophobia unsheathed its destructive claws and tore into... Read more
Remember, Church: the stock market does matter to your survival. Embrace this perilous time as the best of all occasions to practice serious self and institutional reflection, repent from and leave behind encrusted habits and dysfunctional modes of operation, and see this as a different way to celebrate Easter. I’ve seen a lot of dismissive comments about how silly it is to worry about the stock market while the pandemic is raging. Why? It is obviously more important to contain... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In