2007. Nine years ago. It doesn’t seem like that long ago. I was spending several days at a retreat center in Tucson, Arizona where I was a presenter at a spiritual direction training program. Having some time before my next presentation, I placed a call to my mother who lived… Read More »Time for a Change
I’m well aware that I’m a white man of a certain age. Like other white men in my age group in the United States, I know that because of my age it would be difficult for me to find full time employment if I left my current job. I also… Read More »2016: A Year to Move Beyond Fear
As I drove down a familiar street one evening, traffic began to slow….then crawl….then stop and start at a hesitant snail’s pace. I checked the time. It was nearly 9:00 PM. I wondered if there was an accident up ahead. Then I remembered the likely cause of the delay. I… Read More »Keeping Christ in Christmas, Part 4: Stories of Hope for those Marginalized
I’m sure it will come as no surprise to anyone that I follow news about religion very closely. In fact, I receive daily email alerts and summaries about religion in the news. While there are a variety of headlines each day, some of which are awe inspiring, there is a… Read More »Keeping Christ in Christmas, part 3: Foreigners and Their Strange Religions
For the last five years, Atlanta has been my home. In comparison to other cities in the United States, Atlanta is unique because it is so green. Often called “the city in the forest,” 36% of the city of Atlanta is made up of trees. That percentage only increases when… Read More »Keeping Christ in Christmas, part 2: Homeless Drunks
Advent: a time of anticipation, preparation, and expectation for something yet to come. In the weeks before Christmas, Christians mark the time of Advent. The four Sundays before Christmas Day are meant to draw Christians to look for what is not seen, to hope for something more, to anticipate good… Read More »Keeping Christ in Christmas, part 1: Hearing Voices
It’s much the same this year as it was last year….and the year before that. In the week before the Thanksgiving holiday, many TV shows in the United States have a Thanksgiving-themed episode. They generally follow the same plot: a holiday dinner with family that turns into the height of… Read More »Thanksgiving As It Is
Let’s just admit something that’s simply true: life can be very difficult. For decades, war has raged in the Middle East and Central Asia with no real solution in sight as hundreds of thousands of refugees flee to Europe. Each day, children and youth are gunned-down in the streets of… Read More »Finding Light in the Darkness
