On a walk in a Portland neighborhood with my sister and brother recently, a rather scary scene greeted us. It was a skeleton reaching out from the earth skywards, a grimace on its skull. Then I remembered it was the day before Halloween. (and yes, I am the kind of person who takes photos of… Read More The Power of the Past to Haunt Us
We need to be gathering resources that describe an alternate future. A future of hope different than what we know today. This past week carried more news of fires and hurricanes, sordid political tales from various countries, heinous murders and untimely deaths. And yes, there was good news too! But whatever our week was like,… Read More Mahatma Gandhi and Prophet Jeremiah on an Alternate Future
What does it mean to have a ‘lover’s quarrel’ with our nation? I love this description of times and season when for whatever reasons, and whatever our political leanings, we feel at odds with what is happening in our countries. And it can be true of any nation at any period of history. The idea… Read More Having a ‘lover’s quarrel’ with our nation
I love to journal. Perhaps because of my passion for history and context. Often when I am traveling, one of the first things I do on a first morning in a new place is to take out my journal and write a few lines. It centers me, a habit similar to some who take out… Read More The Importance of Journaling: A Prayer at Mid-Life
Competition, this never-ending desire to be the best, is a heartless master. It drives us, seeps into our daily lives and national discourse and doesn’t let go. It is in our educational system, our media, our churches, our national holidays. Self and national promotion has become so normal that we don’t think twice about, never… Read More Why does it matter if America is or isn’t the greatest country in the world?
It’s been a strange week. The images of the North Korean leader meeting with a USA President for the first time in history seemed surreal, somehow not able to be believed. Yet it was happening. We were just in Singapore on Sentosa Island, the site of the meeting, a few months ago, and knowing Singapore… Read More Applied Hope in a Dark World
It’s written in fairly small print at the bottom of most side mirrors in cars. A curious phrase really. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. This is meant, presumably, to have you not rely on what you see in your mirror of the approaching car, but instead realize that it is actually much closer. But who… Read More Objects in Future are Closer than They Appear
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