In my Ethics course this coming Wednesday, we are talking about ethical issues involving sexuality, among other things, and one of the pieces I am bringing to class for discussion is a New York Times article from Nov. 19th, 2011, titled “Secret Dread at Penn State,” by Daniel Mendelsohn. The opening sentence of the article…… Continue reading What if it had been a Girl?
A Christian Nation?
Last week, I went to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, housed in the same building as the National Portrait Gallery—such great exhibits! As I was walking through the Folk Art exhibit on the first floor, I was struck by how many works were based on Scripture—I am including a few of my favorites in this…… Continue reading A Christian Nation?
The Joy of Waiting
I am not a patient person. Everyone who knows me even a little knows this is true: I do not wait well in lines, in traffic, or behind slow walkers. Nor am I able to accomplish time-consuming tasks that require deliberation, careful attention and meticulous care: I had to have a friend put on my…… Continue reading The Joy of Waiting
Feelings of Drought
I am confident that I am not the only Christian who has “spells of dryness”—in my life with God, in my life with others, and in my vocation. These are times when I feel barren: lonely, isolated, and incompetent—failing and falling. It is hard to talk about these periods—it is hard to know what to…… Continue reading Feelings of Drought
Seven Billion and Counting!
On the morning of Nov. 1st, I was listening to NPR like I always do when it was reported that the earth’s population had hit 7 billion people. And, as it turns out, like almost everything else, there’s an app for that: National Geographic magazine created an app that offers a selection of articles and…… Continue reading Seven Billion and Counting!
The Scandal of Christianity
Normally, I would not put Søren Kierkegaard [melancholic 19th century Danish philosopher/theologian] and James Cone [feisty 20th century black theologian] together on the same side of a theological line in the sand, but this week, they collided in a very interesting and helpful way. Kierkegaard came first: I have been reading Practice in Christianity with…… Continue reading The Scandal of Christianity
Shopping is a Religious Question
There is an article that will be coming out in Dialog this winter called “Religion and the Environment: Thomas Berry, the Bishnoi, and Satish Kumar,” by Christopher Ky Chapple.While I was editing this article, I was brought to a full stop by this quote:”Aparigraha means do not acquire what is not necessary. Do not shop…… Continue reading Shopping is a Religious Question
Recklessness–God’s and Ours
I love coming across a new adjective for God that I haven’t seen before–I get tired of “omnipotent” and “omniscient” all the time! So, it was a nice surprise when reading Practice in Christianity by Søren Kierkegaard to read about God’s recklessness, specifically as it relates to the radical nature of God’s love. I think…… Continue reading Recklessness–God’s and Ours
The Discipline of Humility
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/03/111003fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=allSometimes I feel like the virtue of humility is in an ever-increasing state of short supply. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not talking about the kind of humility that comes from repeated humiliation—a form of oppression and abuse imposed on someone from the outside: the kind that happens to belittled children, battered spouses, and domineered…… Continue reading The Discipline of Humility
A Peace Prize for “Praying the Devil back to Hell”
How wonderful it was to wake up to the news that three women were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year: Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Liberian peace activist Leyma Gbowee, and a democracy advocate from Yemen, Tawakkul Karman. Of the three, I was particularly gratified to see the two women from Liberia recognized. It…… Continue reading A Peace Prize for “Praying the Devil back to Hell”
Happy Lutheran 