News & Articles

Small Places

It’s not often that I can write a column that features the rock group KISS and Pope Francis.  But those two stars aligned this past September 1.  KISS performed a concert at a small town near where we vacation in the summer, and, at the same time, Pope Francis was in Mongolia.  The town I’m…

No Place for Violence

Despite being a registered Democrat, I chose Senator Mitch Romney as the first lawmaker whom I wanted to contact after the January 6 insurrection.  I urged Romney, a thoughtful and courageous person, to rescue the Republican Party from Trumpism by running again for president. My wish will not be fulfilled.  This past week, Romney announced…

A Season of Beauty

This is the time of year when many of us who live in this part of Indiana will drive to Brown County to view the autumn colors.  Visiting Brown County Park and stopping at the overlooks never gets old for my wife and me.  To look out over miles and miles of trees in their…

Shall We Say Grace?

A habit in many religions is for people to offer thanks to the Divine before eating.  To express thanksgiving before we begin eating helps us remember our contingency as human beings.  That is, we remember that we are not self-sufficient; we rely on food both to survive and to thrive. If we define “grace” as…

Ready Or Not, Here Comes The Election

A year from now, our country will be neck-deep in another presidential race.  The months between now and then will go by fast, and before candidates distract us by turning the election into a personality contest, we should use these months to identify the issues that candidates should be required to address.   Of course, my…

Under Pressure

I woke up last Sunday morning to two sports stories that seemed oddly related.  The first concerned the women’s soccer team being defeated by Sweden.  The second concerned Simone Biles’ return to competitive gymnastics and her winning a meet in Illinois.  She might be preparing for another Olympics but with a different outlook this time.…