-
·
Between: the Parable of the Prodigal Son(s)
A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 19C and Proper 20C. The text: Luke 15:11-32. You know this story. Even if you’ve never read it, you know it. It’s in your bones and in your imagination. Artists have mused with it. Writers have cribbed from it. Filmmakers have…
-
·
Continuing a failed war on terror is a moral failure
The great moral failure wasn’t only in launching the war on terror, it has been in continuing it in spite of all the moral and statistical evidence. The social share title reads “The scene of America’s longest war is now world’s terrorism hotspot”. Nearly 18 years into the war on terror, this headline should be…
-
·
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…
-
·
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…
-
·
Who Survives: the morbid morality of The Walking Dead
[Warning: While I am not recapping the most recent episode, there are some spoilers from “The Grove” and from earlier episodes in Season 4. I’ll leave the recaps for EW and The Daily Beast. The subject however, remains difficult and not suitable for all readers.] Last night’s episode of The Walking Dead, “The Grove” is…
-
·
Christianity, the state, and the rising urge to kill someone
Over the last week or so, some really good Christians have written about the death penalty from a Christian perspective. It has been in the public consciousness for the last few weeks. I gave my own response recently. But in the responses, a curious thing happened. There was what has to be this moment of…
-
·
Losing our morality in the death penalty
We are responsible. This isn’t about someone else. It is about us. We haven’t been doing enough. Last week, when confronted with the fact that he sent 234 inmates to their execution, including an innocent man, Texas Governor Rick Perry appeared jubilant and remorseless–and the Tea Party-filled crowd cheered. As I tweeted, I had visions…