New Atheists are contentious. They believe they are at war, fighting ancient traditions and ignorance in favor of a more advanced secular future. Evangelicals believe they are at war too and are fighting for Christmas and Marriage among other things. The media is kerosene for this flaming contention – setting up, as Timothy Keller says,… Continue reading The Hitchens Brothers Made Peace — Our Turn
Category: Reflections
Born on the Fourth of July
No matter where you stand as a Christian on an issue, there’s another Christian out there who feels rooted solidly in an opposing, bible-backed “truth.” Perhaps you’ll both go to hell. Who’s to say? Not me, that’s for sure. And so, I could criticize the Mega Church Singing tree phenomenon, as outlined here in Slate.com… Continue reading Born on the Fourth of July
Merry Santa Day Kids; Enjoy Winter Break and the Solstice
There is no War on Christmas. Read this great story of all faiths coming together around the Christian Holiday. Christians need to take offense to rampant poverty, materialism, and consumerism, not the Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas crap. Rachel Held Evans wrote the best Christian perspective about this on the web found HERE. Highlights after the… Continue reading Merry Santa Day Kids; Enjoy Winter Break and the Solstice
Merry Christmas
Enjoyed this Dostoevsky quote in The Reason for God book by Keller — seems appropriately hopeful for the holidays. I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and… Continue reading Merry Christmas
Prayer is Redundant or Futile
I read a book long ago that compared the prayer/God connection to an experience with water. My now-distant summarization — prayer dissolves you into being part of something larger. It moves through and around, fast or still, violent or calm in any moment, but lets you become one with what is pervasive and life sustaining.… Continue reading Prayer is Redundant or Futile
Avoiding an American Taboo
Indy: “Are we rich?” Me: “Yes.” It was a quick response, even though I knew the answer would haunt me as he retold it to his friends at school. Sage had just gotten back from having lunch with a former Cambodian Refugee, who, at my son’s age lived in a cave with his mother and… Continue reading Avoiding an American Taboo
Happy Thanksgiving
I am thankful for all that has come before — the friendships, family, sickness, wellness — the good and the challenging because it has created who I am, and what is the point of not loving my life as it is? True that there’s always growth and room to be better, but as that goes,… Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving
New Post on Welcome To Indiana
This new entry on Welcome to Indiana, from month 10, touches on why belief in a higher power can be handy for more then just vending machine prayers and foxholes.
The Future of Publishing
Let’s talk about the future of publishing. This conversation usually looks like a self publish vs. traditional publish debate. I believe that is not the “bunny” we should all be looking at behind the camera. The threat to traditional publishers are not ambitious, vain writers who can guerrilla market. The threat comes from new giants — Kobo,… Continue reading The Future of Publishing
The Blessing of Jury Duty
The Nouwen book is still sweet and talking about the blessings each of us has to give this world and the blessings, often disguised, that the world offers back. Jury Duty this week has been a blessing in the same way the goat is a blessing in the wise folk tale about… getting a goat.… Continue reading The Blessing of Jury Duty