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How To Not Change the World
Our Willful Ignorance of Self I once read that Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols approaches his day with this simple practice: he only looks in the mirror once. He gets up, prepares himself for the day, and spends the rest of the day believing he’s that guy in the mirror. Regardless of what life throws…
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What Every Christian Should Know About Torture
Torture Isn’t Actually Partisan It takes a certain level of what Pope Francis calls “spiritual Alzheimers” for Christians to think torture is acceptable. In any circumstance. I’m willing to give us some level of forgiveness for our confusion in the closing months of 2001, when the country, and particularly the government, was searching for ways to respond…
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Ghettoed Suffering: a Reflection on World AIDS Day
I drove across town to Maple Avenue United Methodist Church. It was dark, cold; the streets were wet. I was running late, but thankfully it started late. The room was nowhere near full. But it was diverse. Wide variety in ages, including college students and some much older. There was also ethnic and gender diversity.…
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Why The Walking Dead Is Not As Cynical As You Are
or The Gospel According to The Walking Dead [NOTE: Some series and season 5 spoilers follow.] It seems as if The Walking Dead brings out the most cynical side of us. It shouldn’t surprise me that a show about the post-apocalyptic world of zombie infestation would tread regularly into the hopelessness of nihilism. This was particularly true…
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Bringing Death Out of the Shadows: Brittany Maynard and self-determination
In making her struggles and decisions about death public, Brittany Maynard has invited a welcome conversation about death and dying. Now, I suspect many wouldn’t call the conversation “welcome”. Others welcome the opportunity to shame and shun rather than converse. For many in the church, it is an opportunity to shake our heads and say…
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When Subtraction Mimics Progress
Whenever the U.S. holds a national election, there is much evaluation, haranguing, and prediction. We are reminded often that midterms always have a different character than presidential elections, but that knowledge is thrown out the window in the fever of gloating and sorrow. The most popular prediction this time, and the one I have often subscribed…
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How Generosity Could Save the Church
I’m going to come right out and say it. The economics of future-proofing the church are directly dependent on the generosity of older generations. If the church as we know it is to survive the next two decades, it’ll be because something changed. Either we changed or the culture changed. Or maybe the circumstances changed. Or all…
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Why TV Needs Father Gabriel
Warning: mild spoilers of The Walking Dead follow. The Walking Dead. I haven’t read the comics, though I should have by now. I’m a geek, I used to be a comic geek at that, and I love the show, so this is totally in my wheelhouse. Maybe I love the suspense of watching the show as it comes on: of waiting until…