Fifty-eight people dead, hundreds wounded. Another tragedy in America. The news media is already having a field day. You can already go to the various news sites and see multiple stories all saying the same thing. We really do not know anything yet, but they are going to fill up our space with stories that […]
The Passion of the Chaplain
Today several of us chaplains were having lunch together during class break. We are all taking a Clinical Pastoral Education class sponsored by one of the Veterans Affairs medical centers. You are probably not aware that the Department of Veterans Affairs has Clinical Pastoral Education training in various medical centers around the nation. This should […]
Russia, fake news, and fallout
In a post on Facebook® based on a story from CBS News called, “How Russia-linked groups used Facebook to meddle in 2016 elections,” I said: The sad part of this story is just how many people preferred to believe these stories while putting down Snopes and other reliable fact-checkers. The big success for Russia was […]
Three simple things
I like the sayings of the Desert Fathers (and Mothers), sometimes they are complex and sometimes they are simple. The one from today is simple. “These three things God requires of all the baptized: right faith in the heart, truth on the tongue, temperance in the body.” — Abba Gregory the Theologian I like the […]
“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice” is a recipe for bloodshed
“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!” — Barry Goldwater, Republican convention acceptance speech. Most of you will remember this in a slightly different form, and that is because Barry Goldwater did […]
The alt-Right and Antifa
“They started by rationalizing Trump. They ended by rationalizing slavery.” — Bill Kristol Actually, it goes back farther than that. Beginning in the 1980’s, with Willie Horton and Welfare Queens, conservatives began to send out a coded message that “they” were cheating people and taking money they should not have. It quickly became a movement […]
Dormition of the Theotokos icon
Dormition of the Theotokos Lyuba Yatskiv (Ukraine) I really like this icon. As is to be expected, all the apostles are mourning her passing. And why not? Scripture lists her as among the people present during the first Baptism of the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ Baptism. While nothing is found written in Scripture after that […]
The First Rule of Fight Club
Fight Club Watercolor by theonlybriman47 on DeviantArt “The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.” — from the movie Fight Club Both the conservatives and the progressives have a secret that must be kept. Each has a violent wing that […]
Poetry, a neglected part of Christianity
Tomorrow is the Feast of the Dormition of Virgin Mary (of the Theotokos). But, this post is not so much about the Dormition as about the poetry associated with the Dormition. It is an Eastern tradition to sing three sets of Lamentations about the death of Mary. If you have ever been to a Middle […]
Motivations make a difference
Is suicide ever ethical? Well, let me ask you some questions. Is it appropriate for a member of the military to dive on a grenade? Is it appropriate for a person to jump in front of a speeding car to push a child out-of-the-way, knowing that they will die? Are these not merely examples of […]
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