I resolve. I’ve never been the enemy of New Year’s Resolutions that some people are. My Dad was vocal about his dislike of this tradition: “You say you’re going to do something and then you don’t. If you really cared that much about it, you wouldn’t put it off till January 1.” From his perspective, labeling your desired change as a New Year’s Resolution was an instant death warrant for the resolution, and if you were honest you wouldn’t if make it, so much as do it. I can’t d

Call me Gomer. So often, I just can’t figure God out. The books of Job and Hosea make it worse. Oh I get the point of the books, but I have such a problem with the thought that God used real, living breathing humans with feelings and emotions to create examples for posterity. Given the context of God’s timeless omniscience, were Job’s wife and children born just to be massacred by Sabeans and Chaldeans? Job’s first wife was famous for her saying, “Baruch Elokhim, ve mos!” Bu

As I think and write tonight I am sitting on the 10th floor of Bay Lake Tower of the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. Out the window I can see “Cinderella’s Castle” all lit up with icicle lights for Christmas. The fireworks show just ended. I almost always read a book to prepare for a trip: When I traveled to England, I read Emerson’s account of his travels there. When I traveled to Israel, I read Twain’s account of his travels there. On this trip to Florida, I read

Reverent devotion to God. I can respect that. I met lots of pious people in my recent trip and conference. Please don’t confuse piety with being sanctimonious or pretentious. Piety connotes humility while these other more common traits suggest self-absorption rather than God-absorption. In my last installment of this series, I told a story of a peaceful transaction between an Israeli and a Palestinian, to show that peace is possible where humility is allowed to work. Today I

We tend to project our own insights and motivations into the behavior of others. For example, a politician I know often accuses others of doing things simply for political gain, as opposed to honestly “for the good of others.” There is, often, no basis for such opinion, and when the accusation is spoken it usually illuminates the motivations and spirit of that politician more than it does the character of the subject person. “Everything looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.” Po

I learned some significant lessons recently at an International Religious Freedom Conference in Washington D.C. I was granted the undeserved honor of sitting beside some esteemed friends on a panel about Nigerian Genocide, and I guarantee that I learned more from them than they did from me. There is quite a difference between fighting for Liberty and fighting for my own rights and freedom. I know, I know . . . my own freedom is still liberty. But it is not Liberty (with a cap

The idea of the existence of a god fascinates me. A being that is so big, it spoke the big bang into happening. So infinite that it holds the “infinite” universe like I might hold a towel. So full of omniscience that man’s science looks like a toddler discovering his toes. Perhaps even more astounding is the notion that such a being would converse with me: someone who might put a few sticks or bits of elements together and spend the rest of his days amazed with my “creation;”

I don’t always learn by teaching. Sometimes, I learn by conjuring up some humility, reminding myself that I’m not an expert in – well – anything, and finding someone who IS, and then submitting to their instruction. On this point, for the past several years I have been studying mediation and more specifically, conciliation, methods. This is done in a quest to be able to help people who are tangled up in the chains of conflict to escape with their valued relationships in tact.

I do not subscribe to the platitude that “everyone wants to get along with others.” I heard someone say this recently, but I don’t think so. At least not by my definition of “getting along.” Some want to get along as long as they have control. Some want to get along as long as they aren’t carrying the weight. Some are in favor of peace so long as they don’t have to compromise. From my experience, peace for those in control does not assure peace for those forced to submit. Pea

I can’t say I’ll miss this year. Not because it has been bad – it hasn’t – but because I’m ready for a few changes. I want to be more true to myself. Is that so much to ask? No more trying to be a redneck. No more trying to be part of either political party. No more trying to be more or less than what I am. More of what I care about. In my career I have proven to myself over the last 25 years that my passion is helping the abused of society. Not those who simply claim “abuse”

After a long therapeutic ride, Reagan returned home to find that everyone had gone to bed. The kids were asleep and Rosy may as well have been. He climbed into his side of the bed and drifted off into a fitful, restless sleep. The next afternoon Rosy texted him and invited him to dinner. She said the kids were taken care of and she had a coupon for Cheesecake Factory, so he agreed. They met at the hostess station after work: “Strange how we convince ourselves we have control,

(This is #11 and the final installment in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 by clicking on the numbers. It’s ok – they’re mostly short.) By the way, to be fair, it’s not just Christians who do it. I’m just more willing to point the proverbial finger at my own kind than others, for the sake of avoiding hypocrisy. But everyone from the LGBTQ community to the Islam community seems to do it. We all want respect and we all want others to see the truth of our ways. But

(This is #10 in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 by clicking on the numbers. It’s ok – they’re short.) Last night I laid out my view that Christ never encouraged public prayer among nonbelievers. I have also explained that U.S. Christians have been doing so ever since the Puritans anchored here. In a previous post I explained that there are usually consequences for “forcing it.” The Union Free School District No. 9 of New Hyde Park, New York was and is a public schoo

(This is #9 in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 , 7 & 8 by clicking on the numbers. It’s ok – they’re short.) Ok, let’s close with Prayer. I know that’s a common saying in church and bible studies, and sometimes in other more public, settings, but I mean it in a different way. I mean it in the sense of a – it’s time to wrap up this series and b. I need to address public prayer before closing. Because really, this bugs me. Imagine laying in bed at night. You’re nice and comfort

(This is #8 in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 by clicking on the numbers.) When I last left this keyboard, I was suggesting that a lot of Christians seem to be blaming everyone but themselves for perceived problems with religious liberty in the U.S. and that maybe that should be re-examined. I admit that this is a slightly bold assertion so I will present it carefully. Consider the teaching of evolution versus creation in public schools. The judicial case that comes to m

God is the inventor of free will.  He doesn’t force man to love Him, or obey Him, or respect Him. He could, but He doesn’t. Because He desires sincere devotion as opposed to forced submission. He knows that Forced respect isn’t respect at all; Forced love isn’t love in the least; Forced allegiance is a far cry from loyalty, and Forced religion is bad faith. So He doesn’t force it. To make the point, let’s look at some of His history: Why would He place the first man and woman

My last post, “Don’t force it,” created a mildly heated discussion on my facebook page. Sometimes that happens. The thing is, most people seem to agree that the players have a right to protest – the dissonance comes when the discussion moves to when and where the protest should happen. Under the caselaw interpreting our U.S. Constitution, speech as well as other basic freedoms may be regulated by time, place and manner, but that’s not even the point I was, and am, going for.

#politics #women #kaepernick #prayer #Christianity #violence #questions #Faith #progressive #football #religion #liberal #conservative

A line from an old song by Rush says “The mirror always lies to the beautiful and the wise.” I think there’s some truth to that. I’ve heard too many healthy people insist they were fat. Too many compassionate people beat themselves up for being insensitive; too many friendly people self deprecate for a perceived “rudeness” and one too many individuals claim that they weren’t worthy of love. Well they are – worthy. You are. I am. These lies come from a variety of sources. Some

Right, then. Obviously, by the title, this is installment 4 in a series of some unspecified number of posts.  Ironic maybe that I’m not naming the denominator in my own fractions, but whatever. I would suggest reading 1, 2, & 3 in order to help this one make more sense. What if we look at less appealing common denominators? It’s not so hard or even offensive to compare ourselves to rockstars, writers, or revolutionaries, but what if we start comparing the revolutionaries to t