Cognitive
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Nefarious Integers Standing In The Way Of Our Understanding!
Some would say, it’s all Steve’s fault – Stephen Langton. He was really trying to be helpful and, to his credit, he has made the study of the bible much easier. It was the early 1200’s and Mr. Langton was actually Archbishop of Canterbury Cardinal Stephen Langton. (By the way, Archbishop Langton was responsible for…
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On A Cold, Dark December Evening
I was reminded today about a moment twenty years ago during the Christmas season. I was on my way home from a rather contentious meeting. We were going to be leaving Holland, Michigan soon (not knowing that we would end up in New Castle, Indiana). Cheryl had just given birth to our second daughter, Emily.…
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I’m Blessed, Not Guilty
The “thankful” posts I’m seeing on social media started me thinking. I have, without question, many things to be thankful for. Unfortunately, there is a sport swelling in our culture where contestants redefine some of those gifts as “privileges” and I refuse to play that game. All the blessings in my life are gifts from…
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Long Awaited, Unexpected
They had waited so long for the Messiah, but they did not expect a child. Mary and Joseph did not expect a pregnancy. The shepherds did not expect a sky full of angels. Herod did not expect the Magi. The wedding guests did not expect the best wine at the end of the reception. The…
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Immigration … Maybe They’re Both Wrong
Support for immigrants cost him his party’s nomination for President. Instead, Lincoln went on to become President in 1860 instead of William Seward, who became the Secretary of State in Lincoln’s administration. Later, Republicans opposed illiterate immigrants; Democrats opposed importing “pauper labor” to do the menial jobs. That was the 1896 election between William Jennings…
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Je suis Charlie?
“Choose your allies carefully: it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever be held morally, legally, or historically accountable for the actions of your enemies.” Some New Tactical Reflections by L. Neil Smith During an editorial meeting with cartoonists and satirists at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, two hooded men walked in with automatics and started shooting.…
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Depression Is Real. Deal With It!
Monday evening social media exploded. Many say they are mourning. Most are simply remembering a great entertainer; mourning our loss of a source of entertainment. Robin will be missed because he brought joy and laughter. I never met Robin Williams. Most who did meet him probably didn’t KNOW him. But genuine mourning for Robin…
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Nazis, CIA Agents, and Obamacare
Officials in Germany want to have a Pennsylvania man charged with war crimes. He was a prison guard at Auschwitz – one of the most notorious Nazi death camps during World War II. The 87 year-old man admits this, but argues that he did not take part in gassing the Jews. We cry out that…
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Trash Talking In Front of a Minister
If it wasn’t for trash talking in front of a seminary student during a rugby scrum this weekend might be very boring. Jim was a senior at the Presbyterian College of Theology in Montreal. It was 1890 and one of Jim’s friends blurted out a “profanity” during a rugby game. He quickly apologized giving the…
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Lessons From September 11 – Discipleship
Events can impact us, but they rarely transform us. Nine years ago we were impacted by an event. September 11, 2001 started as a normal day but ended with thousands dead, all air travel grounded, and a nation in shock. That morning nineteen al-Qaeda extremists used four commercial airliners to stage an event that paralyzed…
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