Published in Our Human Family·PinnedMember-onlyCelebrating Thanksgiving in a Fractured LandFrom George Washington to Donald Trump — Thanksgiving is especially challenging in 2020. The surging pandemic, bitter partisan and racial divides, and collective mourning for the 250,000 victims of Covid-19 have dampened moods and soured appetites. Large family feasts have been canceled or are preceding despite official warnings and significant risk. Yet gratitude is most resonant in…Thanksgiving9 min readThanksgiving9 min read
Published in Our Human Family·PinnedMember-onlyTeaching Past Polarization in Public SchoolsEscaping our ideological bubbles — The 2020 presidential election proved that Americans have retreated into opposing echo chambers. Even a small farm stand in upstate New York advertises eggs, vegetables, flowers, and Bernie for president. Every aspect of our lives has become politicized. The conflicts have drifted from lawn to social media, to public school…Equality6 min readEquality6 min read
Published in Interfaith Now·PinnedMember-onlyProphets, Playwrights, and Politicians and the Absurdity of the Present“You spoke your words as though you denied the very existence of the shadows or of evil. Think, now: where would your good be if there were no evil and what would the world look like without shadow? Shadows are thrown by people and things. There’s the shadow of my…Politics9 min readPolitics9 min read
PinnedMember-onlyThe Constitution’s Fatal FlawAmbition must be made to counteract ambition. . . . It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government…Politics8 min readPolitics8 min read
PinnedMember-onlyThe Purity TestHow Will God Vote Part VI — “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8 KJV) Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes disrupts our identities and partisan passions. What do mercy, meekness, and poverty of spirit have to do with crushing our political enemies? …Politics6 min readPolitics6 min read
Published in Our Human Family·Dec 20, 2020Member-onlyThe Hope in Dr. King’s Last ChristmasEven when our dreams turn into nightmares, they still contain the seeds of new beginnings. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. insisted that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” We can find inspiration from his life and teaching to endure through times of darkness and hopelessness. Yet his many disappointments and assassination remind us of the difficulty of the…Equality10 min readEquality10 min read
Nov 11, 2020Member-onlyIt Was 400 Years Ago TodayThat the Pilgrims Signed their Lives Away. November 11, 2020 marks the four hundredth anniversary of the Mayflower’s landing at Provincetown on Cape Cod. (The actual anniversary is November 21st in the Gregorian calendar) While newspapers, politicians, and historians debate the true origins of the United States. …Mayflower6 min readMayflower6 min read
Nov 1, 2020Member-onlyBlessed are the Refugees, Outcasts, and ExilesHow Will God Vote? Part VIII — As we enter the final days of the 2020 election season, I want to end my series on the Beatitudes and the values of Jesus by adding a translation twist to a familiar passage. …Refugees6 min readRefugees6 min read
Oct 29, 2020Member-onlyHow Can I Vote for Peace in 2020?How will God Vote: Part VII — “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 KJV Sometimes the shortest passages cause the most trouble. Do you want to be called a child of God? Practice peacemaking. As Americans we are solely tempted to add qualifiers to the expression. …Peacemaking8 min readPeacemaking8 min read
Oct 5, 2020Member-onlyCan We Depolarize the Supreme Court?The Fourth in a Series on Depolarizing Politics — Writing about depolarizing politics in the middle of the 2020 presidential election feels like bailing out the Titanic with a teaspoon. Or worse, I have become Don Quixote tilting at windmills in a war zone. …Politics9 min readPolitics9 min read
