Amazing changes are underway in Pakistan. For all the attention this young country gets for being a haven for radical Islam, a base of operations for the Taliban, and a sanctuary for Al Qaeda, it has managed to do something the U.S. has not–elect a woman head of state, not once but twice. And it […]
When we meet somebody who doesn’t fit our preconceptions of a group, someone we find ourselves growing comfortable with, we often feel a need to praise our new friend with an observation that points out how unlike those people he is. We say something like: Those people are all so immature, so ignorant. Present company […]
This article by Jayn Griffith at The Establishment is making the rounds on Facebook. It’s an enlightening read: The Real Reason Everyone Freaked Out Over Kim Kardashian’s Nude Selfie – The Establishment On International Women’s Day (March 8), Kim Kardashian posted a nude selfie on Twitter. The reaction was predictable: a smattering of compliments, some […]
In early 2014 and 2015, I did a series of posts honoring five people I felt had shown extraordinary courage in the previous year. If you’re interested, you can see those series at the following links: Heroes of 2013 Heroes of 2014 I’m a little late in honoring the heroes of 2015; after spending more […]
We love to think of ourselves as creatures of logic. We pride ourselves on the ability to consider the nuances of an issue, to look at it from all sides, list the pros and cons of each option and make a decision based on rational analysis. Think it through, we tell ourselves when we face […]
Many of us believe in a God so loving that He will forgive anything we do, anything we say, if we only ask it and believe in Him. Even more, we believe our sin goes so deep in our bones that if we tried to earn His forgiveness, if we tried to deserve His mercy, […]
I was a lousy Army officer. Truth be told, by skills and temperament I probably shouldn’t ever have been there. But I was there, too stubborn to quit, and for twelve years I strove to become good at a calling I was unsuited for, until finally I figured out I could make a different choice. […]
I choose to make time to vote today. Our American political process, the way we select our leaders, the way those leaders govern, is often ridiculously frustrating. Even as I resolve to go vote today, I have to admit to myself that none of the current pool of candidates for president is at all exciting […]
We love stories about true love. They are every bit as stirring for us as the stories of justice and vengeance and underdogs finding victory against all odds: the stories of two people finding each other, two people who were meant for each other, who ultimately may never have known happiness if they hadn’t found […]
We love to talk about seeking understanding. But most of us choose ignorance instead. Small wonder. Understanding is hard. It’s much easier to judge poor single mothers, to talk about how their bad choices landed them where they are, than to speak to one, to try to understand why those choices may have seemed right […]