The Nose On Your Face I often find it best to start out by stating the obvious, and this is what I think is obvious, anyway, about those of us who choose our philosophy or religious tradition: We pick one (or pick elements of various ones) because we find those suggested practices and commitments useful in constructing the formula for a good life. I think I’ve got that right. As a consequence, having pre-chosen a lifestance, we are better able... Read more
Off the Boat and Out of the Box Let’s face it, the United States has produced some way-crazy religions. Not to name any names, but anybody can name names . . . way crazy. Sometimes, when I hear from some of the progeny of those way-crazy religions, I have to wish that the Reformation hadn’t happened and the Pope could still pull a switch and put a stop to the crazy. Where’s the Vatican army when Alabama needs it? But... Read more
Sit Down, Kid When I was in my early 20s, I decided to dedicate myself to becoming a writer. Coming from a farming background, no one that I knew was a writers and no one that I knew had any idea about how to become a writer. (This was in the days before nearly every university and community college had a creative writing program.) So, I decided to go study writing with one of my heroes, the Beat poet Allen... Read more
Schadenfreude No More Another Pew poll showing another major decline in church attendance appeared this week. This is becoming a habit! The 2015 poll shows church attendance is down nearly eight percent since the 2007 poll that had us all talking. And that mysterious group we hadn’t heard of until 2007, the “nones,” increased from 16% in the previous poll to nearly 24% of Americans. No religion. None. And no plans of finding one, at least in the traditional denominations.... Read more
STAR LOG Had space aliens stopped by planet Earth a hundred thousand years ago, as homo sapiens first began to migrate north out of Africa, I suspect they would have noted in their star log that these evolving creatures had a very serious challenge before them: tribalism. Yes, the aliens would have noted, homo sapiens was remarkable at invention. Remarkable at problem-solving. Highly adaptable to new climates and new food sources. Very affectionate and respectful and loyal in family and... Read more
HONESTY DOESN’T RULE Huffington Post called the president’s remarks on the Baltimore uprising “the most honest fifteen minutes of Obama’s presidency.” What did Obama get honest about? He said, In those environments, if we think that we’re just gonna send the police to do the dirty work of containing the problems that arise there, without as a nation and as a society saying what can we do to change those communities, to help lift up those communities and give those... Read more
In celebration of National Poetry Month, a translation from the great Mexican poet Alberto Blanco. In a few short sentences, Blanco excludes exclusion. My Tribe From lake to lake, from forest to forest: “Which is my tribe?” —I wonder— “What is my place?” Perhaps I belong to the tribe of those who have no tribe; or to the tribe of black sheep; or to a tribe whose ancestors come from the future: a tribe about to . . . arrive!... Read more
It feels a bit strange to say it—Happy Earth Day—a bit like saying “Happy Memorial Day” or “Happy Holocaust Day of Remembrance.” Some things are important to think about, and to honor, without being particularly happy. I don’t know about you, but I spend quite a bit of time thinking about climate change, about the mass extinction of species, about the continent of plastic congealing in the Pacific ocean, about oil spills and tar sands and deforestation and all of... Read more
The Unitarian Universalist (UU) faith has taken the stand that “Advancing the human rights of communities affected by climate change is a moral imperative.” The UU Commit2Respond call to action declares: “As people of faith and conscience, we have a responsibility to defend our home and care for each other, working to be in solidarity with those most impacted by pollution, environmental destruction, increasingly severe natural disasters, and more. We must take action to shift, advance, and grow. We envision... Read more
I sit at the roadside; The driver changes the wheel. I don’t like where I’m coming from. I don’t like where I’m going. Why do I watch this wheel change Impatiently? This poem, by German playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht, catches that feeling of being in-between. In process. In liminal space. We all know about sitting idly by, watching. The poem reflects a moment of insight. An epiphany. Dissatisfied with where he’s been; dissatisfied with where he’s going; the speaker... Read more
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