News & Articles
Countering Hate
This might seem a strange question to ask, but it needs to be asked anyway. “What is the greatest problem that our country—no, not just our country, but the whole world—needs to tackle in 2023?” Sadly, we have a long list of problems to choose from, but there is one problem that is hardest to…
Thurman
Once I retired, I knew that I’d finally have the time to read books that were on my “need-to-read” list. Recently, I accidentally or providentially ran across the name of Dr. Howard Thurman, an author whom I always intended to read but, for some reason, hadn’t managed to. But once I discovered that Martin Luther…
Christmas Memories
It is a Christmas tradition in our family to watch the film version of A Child’s Christmas in Wales. The film is a sentimental window into Christmastime a hundred years ago in a different culture, but not so different as to confuse American viewers. The film, based on Dylan Thomas’ poem of the same name,…
Learning to Love the World Cup
I will admit to having a mild case of World Cup fever. As is true of most Americans, I had seen soccer, or what the rest of the world calls “football” or “futbol,” played before. But my passions when I was growing up were basketball and baseball, and I am positive that my high school…
Charles Dickens
I was watching a movie version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with my wife recently when I had a strong feeling that I’d encountered this story before. No, I’m not talking about earlier film versions of Dickens’ classic, but something far more ancient. Growing up the son of a minister and ending up teaching…