Activism or Love in Action?
I was an activist way before is was trendy. Today, an activist is: “One who takes vigorous action or pursues involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations, protests, etc.” If you are taking action toward your cause or your goals, you’re an “activist.” It seems like everyone in America […]
Firm Outside, Flexible Inside
Inflexible, rigid, immovable, carved in stone…There’s a place for these, but in me is not that place. I’m meant to give. My body says so. I’m meant to be flexible, able to bend against the storms of life and not snap. I’m meant to be supple, easily folded, twisted and worked into shape. I’m meant to be […]
How Could Someone DO Something Like That?
How could someone DO something like that? This is what we ask ourselves when events like the recent crash of the German passenger plane happen. Or bombings at a marathon finish line. Or shootings at numerous schools. Or museums. Or places of worship. We are faulty, we humans. But are we at fault? Can we […]
Does Everything Really Happen for a Reason?
“Everything happens for a reason.” I hear that a lot these days, usually after someone hasn’t done enough to prevent or keep something from happening. It helps us feel better about ourselves and more confident in the “forces of the universe” to think that somehow, they have got this. They ordained this. Nothing I could […]
Helicopter Parenting: It’s Biblical!
“… the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” (Jesus) asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” (Matthew 20:20-21) Oh my goodness, we’ve […]
One Table, Many Chairs
Something special happens when we insist on one table with everyone around it. Oh, we may not like everyone there. We may not have seen them in years. We may not even recognize them. But, when the first rule of gathering is that everyone gets a seat at the table, the dynamic changes. It seems […]
Love Strong
If we love with heart, soul and mind, is that enough? What about strength? The Pharisees tested Jesus asking, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And […]
Striving for second place
We are good at preparing people to lead, but how good are we at preparing people to follow? On the day after Easter, this seems a reasonable question. Because, let’s face it, if Jesus is for real, none of is gonna be the leader when this is all over with. But it sets me thinking […]
The road less traveled
I stand at a crossroads, two ways before me. One paved and well lit, the other hard pan, worn through newly greening grass. Which way do I go? A Robert Frost poem beckons dimly from an English class long past. Something about two paths and a choice to be made. One worn and one less […]
The Wisdom of the Stop Sign, the Ignorance of the Overpass
One at a time. Let’s all take turns. You, first, then you. We’ll alternate. We can be nice and wait our turn. What’s a little backup at the stop sign? First come, first served. All good, until we had servers. Computer servers, that is. Now, everything downloads at once and I am frantically sifting and sorting, […]