Who do you let in? These days we have lots of options for who and what we listen to. We can opt to experience constant input at every moment, via the television, radio, internet, cable, social media, on our phones, in our cars, even–yes, I confess, I’ve done it more than once–glancing at things online on our phone in the bathroom. What I notice is that there is so much input that I have to tune most of it out... Read more
Recently we have had a front row seat to observe low-level panic and smoldering fear. The headlines have been shrill: “Ebola Spread to the US Inevitable.” “Why America is Not Ready for an Ebola Outbreak.” “My Daughter’s Ebola Scare.” Polls show that forty-percent of Americans believe there will be an Ebola outbreak in the next twelve months, and twenty-five percent believe their family is in immediate danger. (http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/08/26/3475698/americans-ebola-myths/) Now, it’s probably a tip-off that the magazine with the vague but... Read more
This morning Sitting with the grief of more painful news I pick up my pen And begin moving at the speed of gratitude For a community that holds each other in sorrow and in rage For the light that wakes us and nourishes creation For the dark that heals us and rests the world Today I commit to moving at the speed of gratitude And find my heart has grown larger Love more possible Grace more abundant At this speed. … Beloveds,... Read more
Whoever it was that said grief comes in waves knows what it is to stand in my kitchen on a glorious late-September afternoon at the beginning of apple season. My hand spins the food mill round and round. Rich, warm sauce drips into the bowl. And I weep. Read more
Tis education forms the common mind, Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined. Alexander Pope One of the major tourist attractions in Chicago is the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower and also formerly the tallest building in the world. Upon reaching the 103rd floor, visitors have the opportunity to walk out on “The Ledge,” glass boxes that reach four feet past the outer walls of the building. More interesting than the magnificent view is the reactions of... Read more
Recently Christine Organ (a blogger for this UU Collective) published a lovely post on “good enough” parenting in this competitive age. Frankly, as someone who feels like “good enough” parenting is pretty much the top of my game, I appreciated the reminder that plenty of other folks are perfectly fine parents without living up to their own—and perhaps other people’s—expectations. But I think we can take this a step further. In a world where we are constantly exhorted to “dream... Read more
for Maggie and Lewis As the dimming fall welcomes me back, a summer memory feeds me still. We have risen with the sun, the smell of toaster waffles, and the demand that I read to you. Last night’s bedtime story put me to sleep too soon. So we clear legos from the couch, and return to lands of make believe, armed with a light cotton blanket and coffee. We move from the cool house through the neglected garden. I... Read more
It isn’t news that there’s an inverse relation between religious piety and innovative thought. Religion is a handbrake—whether it stops humanity from going uphill or downhill is the real question. When a new study comes out telling us what we already know about secularity, my secular acquaintances do the I-told-you-so as the religious squint and look for flaws in the statistics. The latest study, “Forbidden Fruits: The Political Economy of Science, Religion, and Growth,” is the most thorough study yet... Read more
When I went to Ferguson I thought I had something to offer. I was wrong. There was nothing for me to offer. When I was immersed in hundreds of voices chanting “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” I raised my white hands. I raised my white voice. But all the while I knew that the pain and betrayal in this chant is not mine. I have not ever had to carry the weight of racial inequality in the way that the people... Read more
Yesterday after church, my family and I stopped at a favorite cafe in Hartford. It’s a funky kind of place with a diverse clientele and a good Sunday brunch. I walked in while my spouse got the baby out of the car. I asked a white woman who was standing by the door whether she was waiting to be seated. She directed me to the counter where I was greeted by the hostess: “Hi there, will you be joining us... Read more
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