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Electoral Change
So I’ve changed my mind about something political. I have to admit, this is something I didn’t think was possible. I didn’t think any of us could change our minds at all. But thanks to an article in my local paper, I did. It’s about the Electoral College, the arcane tool used to elect presidents…
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One of My Biggest Triggers
So, I’ve recently discerned one of the things that continually upsets me in daily life, that causes me both anxiety and depression. It’s a major trigger for me, and that’s a shame, because it’s almost unavoidable in everyday life. The really interesting thing about this trigger, for me, is that I have finally found something…
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Sometimes Despair
Sometimes I find out just how angry people are. Sometimes I make the mistake of reading the comments. Facebook posts these days are so frequently about wearing masks, or about churches being open, or about opening businesses, or about keeping them closed. Even reading just those posts can sometimes remind me of the anger, but…
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Merry Christmas? Bah!
I must say this. I have to take a stand. As a Christian in this nation, I am increasingly upset every year. Each December, as I make my way through streets and stores, I hear holiday greetings. But never, never do I hear the name of the holiday I am celebrating. It’s sickening. Oh sure,…
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Fourteen
The “Stations of the Cross” are a spiritual tool commonly found in Roman Catholic churches. The Stations themselves are stops on a path that one walks. The path is like a pilgrimage of sorts, telling the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Each Station on the path represents one part of that story, and…
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Praying Together About the Things We Can’t Talk About
We are living in very polarizing times today. In the United States, it has become increasingly difficult to hold a conversation about a political topic with people who disagree with you. Friendships and family relationships have become frayed and painful. Family gatherings, such as Thanksgiving, have in some families become times of great anxiety and…
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I Hate Emojis
There’s a part of me that wants to write more about Brett Kavanaugh. But I won’t. One post was enough. There’s a part of me that wants to write in solidarity with #metoo and with women across the country. But I don’t know what to write. There’s precious little that I (as a white, straight,…
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Rushing to Judgment
I’m not going to say much about today’s hearings, for a few reasons: I didn’t watch any of them. All the news I’ve gotten on what happened today was through Facebook. I’m a man. I really don’t think anybody needs to hear my two cents about sexual assault. It’s wrong, in every circumstance. There are…
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Everything’s a Shibboleth
One of the things I do in my role as pastor is send out a (roughly) daily email to about 150 members and friends of my congregation. Sometimes they’re reminders of upcoming events; sometimes they’re celebrations of recent events; sometimes they’re prayers or other spiritual things. Today, I had something planned to send out. But…
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On Loyalty to Our Tribe
I’m thinking about sports teams, and loyalties to them. Imagine a Philadelphia Eagles fan and a Pittsburgh Steelers fan talking about football. Imagine them trying to convince each other that their own team is the best team in the NFL. That debate would go nowhere. If beer were involved, it might just turn nasty or…
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