It has now been over two weeks since the devastating attack by Hamas on Israel, resulting in continuing death and destruction in Gaza. There seems to be no end in sight, with over 200 Israeli and other nationalities held as hostages by Hamas, and Israel preparing for a ground invasion into Gaza while continuing bombing… Read More Lamenting but not without hope
I love to read, write and teach history. My love of history goes back to when I was about 10 years old. A few months ago a beloved uncle died, one who fed this developing passion by sending me history books in the mail from about that same age. One of the great encouragements of… Read More The Call of a Historian: To Lament with Hope
A few weeks ago, I reached the age of 64. And of course the obvious song that goes with that milestone is the Beatles hit, ‘Will you still need me, when I’m 64?’ I had heard it first when I was eight years old, when it was released on the Yellow Submarine album in 1967.… Read More ‘Will you still need me, when I’m 64?’
I made a new ‘friend’ last year. A beautiful black Australian swan with a red beak. This last couple of weeks I have seen him again by a pond near where we are staying. I don’t have a name for my friend yet, yet already I have learned things and been comforted by his presence… Read More Who accompanies you on your journey of life and death?
This is my first blog post in several weeks. With my involvement in several nations since early in the year, time and more importantly energy to write has been lacking. But this post you are presently reading has been in the crafting for some time, at least in my brain and emotions. It concerns a… Read More It can be messy in the Belly of a Whale
It was a stark image two days ago in Cincinnati, Ohio. A whole football team on their knees praying, surrounding a gravely injured teammate. A stadium of 60,000 fans silent, many most likely also in prayer for this 24 year old Buffalo Bills player named Damar Hamlin. He had experienced a cardiac arrest after tackling… Read More Every Life Important: 2023 Begins
I have been thinking again recently about the dangers of cynicism. It can so easily grow in our lives, to the point where it overwhelms our hopes and turns our longings into dust. So many world and national events can contribute to a sense of powerlessness: slow recovery from the pandemic, or fears it will… Read More Have your longings for change turned into cynicism?
There is a glory in limitations, in weakness. After struggling for many months with ‘long covid’, I thought earlier this year that it was completely over. The major symptom for me had been a deep fatigue, and now it seemed my energy was back, my doctor confirming I was ‘well’. But unfortunately that may have… Read More The Glory of Limitations
The timing of this post’s subject matter may seem off at first glance. As I write this, the battle for Ukraine and especially Kiev continues. The incredible courage of the Ukrainian leaders and people in the face of a massive onslaught is inspiring much of the world. It is unknown at this point where this… Read More Have you ever seen a frustrated tulip? Or a worried bird?
In my early 40’s I held eight different roles/positions in my organization, at the same time. Some were focused in the region of South Asia where I lived, and some were international in scope. I took them on in good faith, with a desire to serve and aware that some clearly overlapped. But I also… Read More Have you ever experienced a ‘conflict of interest’?
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