Why is it so hard to talk about politics and religion? I asked some folks about it, and here’s what they said.
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Welcome from 
Thanks for stopping in. Pour yourself a cup o' jo, take a load off your feet, and check out what's here. You are looking at my ramblings about issues of faith, life and culture—they are my own and are not necessarily shared by those with whom I work, live or otherwise engage. My journey has led my family and me across the country where I have been introduced to a lot of people and a lot of different ways of doing things. One passion, though, runs through all these experiences: building beloved and sustainable community. "Sustainable" community is kind of a strange notion, as communities (people) change constantly, and things are always in motion. So, the latest chapter of my life has led me to the notion of "impermanence"—not an idea that comes naturally in a culture that likes to build monuments to our greatness for future generations to view and admire. But, I'm trying to practice my awareness of impermanence—the idea that nothing is permanent, nothing is forever, and things are always in flux. Feel free to share your comments and engage in any conversation that may be happening here, but just know that I do reserve the right to delete any spam or anything I deem inappropriate or offensive. I look forward to dialoguing with anyone who cares to dialogue! Peace and blessings, |
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There is a game that is as old as humanity, maybe older. It’s called: “The Blame Game.” It goes in and out of popularity, but seems to come back as anxiety increases (whether or not it is factually justified). Leaders often respond to The Blame Game either by joining in and trying to thrust as much blame on other leaders as possible, or by trying to justify or defend their positions against the onslaught of […] 
In 2014 a local pastor of a very small independent Baptist community preached a sermon calling for the execution of all homosexual people, posted a video of the sermon on YouTube, and then bought advertising on Facebook to promote it. It was picked up by the news and the sermon went viral. In response, the local interfaith community wrote a response (see here). In the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Orland, […] 
Agitators are dangerous. They can insight fear and frustration, and often violence, with or without knowing it. Last Saturday I participated in a counter-rally calling out presidential frontrunner Donal Trump for his racist, misogynistic, and down-right hateful rhetoric. We were there to agitate, but also raise the flag on the language coming from a person who is vying for one of the most powerful positions in the world. Prior to Saturday, opposing Donald Trump’s run […] 
With every step Jesus took into and within Jerusalem, he pushed against the status quo of fear and oppression. He pushed the Jewish leadership in their cooperation with the empire. He pushed the Roman leadership, riding that thin line between nuisance and seditionist. The leaders saw that the crowd was getting behind Jesus, drawn to his preaching of love and justice (probably more the justice than the love). They needed to figure out how to […] 
Me with Robin Meyers at The Fountains UMC in Fountain Hills, AZ. This weekend I proverbially sat at the feet (actually the back row) of sage writer Robin Meyers, pastor of Mayflower United Church of Christ (not to be confused with the Church of Christ), professor of Philosophy, and author of several books, including Saving Jesus From the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus […] 
In the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, it is written that we are called to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. We are also called to love our neighbor as ourselves. In response, it was once asked: “Who is my neighbor?” And then, a story was told. A young university student was walking home from class one afternoon. On the way, a group of thieves jumped him, beat him up, and […] |
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