In the 21st century, social media writes new narratives and storylines almost minute by minute, expressing what this or that person thinks, believes, desires, supports, likes, dislikes, all the while advocating what they think should be the storyline or worldview everyone must follow. Chief among today’s social media narratives is diversity. Diversity: a word loaded...
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One of the lessons I learned early on about being outdoors in the cold, especially hiking, is this: you need to have a base layer. When it’s super, super cold out and you’re hiking, you need layers to keep you warm, but if you just drop on layer and layer, it won’t actually work right....
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More than a dozen years have passed since we buried my father-in-law. I sometimes wonder what he would make of our historical moment. Jim had a servant’s heart, and COVID has made service problematic. I only recognized that admirable quality in Jim at his memorial service. It wasn’t a big affair, but I was overcome...
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Misfortune Strikes How can I believe that God is in control when so much of our society seems to be coming apart at the seams? How can I believe God is in control when I can be attacked because of the color of my skin, even if I’m peacefully protesting and clearly within my constitutional...
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As Christians, we know we are called to submit to those in authority above us. Romans 13:2 is just one of many verses in the Bible that points to this: “Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” In showing...
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“Perhaps it is more difficult than I thought before, because it is different when it’s your mother.” Twice a year I teach a course that requires the students to read carefully and critically week by week, listening and analyzing as they make their way through the world. A graduate-seminar in pedagogy, for three hours we...
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