In the Western Christian tradition, we are about to enter the season of Lent. This year, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, takes place on March 1. Traditionally, Lent is the period of 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter, when Christians fast, contemplate their sins, repent and ask for forgiveness. Lent (a […]
Present
Blog posts relating to the present such as social justice issues
The SPLC’s Latest Report on US Hate Groups
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has just released its annual report on hate and extremism in America. Entitled “Hate groups increase for second consecutive year as Trump electrifies radical right,” it is a “must-read” for all Americans who care about our country. As SPLC noted in the cover memo to supporters, “As Donald Trump’s […]
Stress, Social Justice and Our American Psyche
How many articles have you read over the years giving advice to help you deal with your daily stress? Five? Ten? Thirty? How much of this advice has actually worked over the long term? What if the daily stress that millions of Americans experience does not result so much from individual decisions and lifestyles but […]
State of Confusion
Die-hard supporters of Donald Trump and those in his inner circle might not concur, but it’s highly probable that many citizens who follow the news coming out of the Trump Administration, even only a couple of weeks in, might agree that things are confusing! Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on the Affordable Care Act […]
Advice to Trump from His Own Inauguration
Our new President, Donald Trump, heard a number of inspiring readings during his Inauguration, as well as at the National Prayer Service the next day. It is hard to read body language, but for most of the time that I watched both events, I got the distinct feeling that he was bored. I hope I’m […]
Observations on Old TV Shows
Being unemployed for long stretches of time, then being laid up at home following a knee replacement, I’ve been submerged in television. I keep up with the news daily, but there has also been a proliferation of cable stations specializing in familiar shows from days gone by. I’ve been entertained by MeTV (Memorable Entertainment), COZI, […]
Learning from Rick Steves
I have become a huge fan of Rick Steves since “discovering” him on a Public Broadcasting System station last year. I have only traveled to and in Europe 10 times, primarily as a tourist and researcher, but Steves has made Europe the primary focus of his professional life for over four decades. In case you’re […]
As We Begin a New Year – and Era
As we in the US begin not only a New Year but also a new era in our political and national life, I offer again this Prayer for Our Country from the Book of Common Prayer: O God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may […]
Governance: Time to Question Our Two-Party System?
“Across the aisle.” “Bipartisan support.” “Third party challenge.” These are some of the terms we take for granted in our political discourse. Are any of us (beside those devoted to, invested in or paid by the Democratic or Republican party) pleased, however, by the often total inability, especially at the national level, to get things […]
The Fortune-Time Global Forum
The Pope and the billionaires. I have not seen too much news coverage of this, but Pope Francis met earlier this month with some of the world’s wealthiest business people. The Fortune-Time Global Forum, convened in Rome by Time and Fortune magazines, focused on the Pope’s call for a fundamental renewal of the global economic […]