Category Archives: Uncategorized

Those Dangerous Underdogs There’s a reason they call it “March Madness.” The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament has not gone exactly as predicted.  It rarely does. Enter underdogs! The notion of an underdog emerged from an unfortunate period in … Continue reading →

Heaven’s Bracketology Do you suppose Jesus loves basketball? Perhaps. Did you know He once filled 12 baskets with five loaves of bread? And this after feeding thousands of people with just five loaves?  Can you imagine what the score would … Continue reading →

When “Instant Gratification” and “Convenience” Met                               I realize they have met before, but recently I arranged their first formal interaction in my life. It happened on a cold, windy Saturday in Virginia. At the risk of dating myself, I must tell you … Continue reading →

An Open Letter to our Children Dear Children, As we grown-ups talk about guns and school safety, I wonder what you are thinking. Are you afraid?  Are you confused?  Do you wish people would stop talking about scary things? I … Continue reading →

“What Good is an Adult if it Doesn’t Do Anything?” A new voice has awakened the conscience of our country, and it isn’t that of a street preacher, a celebrity or a high flying politician. It’s a child. A teenager … Continue reading →

Don’t Say “It Doesn’t Matter”! We live in a dangerous world. We live in a polluted world. Can things get better? Does it matter? Not long ago I was in a lively conversation about global warming with a brother in … Continue reading →

Forgive Doesn’t Mean “Forget It” Lutheran minister and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is famous for contrasting “cheap grace” with “costly grace.” In reference to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross he writes, “The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account … Continue reading →

Undressing the Grammy Awards Even if you didn’t watch the recent Grammy Awards, you may have heard about the contradictory message of the evening. On a night when artists used their global platform to speak out against sexual harassment, they … Continue reading →

Do I Have to Be “This” or “That”? First, a confession… My family roots go back to the coal mines of Eastern Kentucky and a sharecropper’s farm in Athens, Kentucky. That’s Athens with a long “A”, and it happens to … Continue reading →

No Shame in a “S***hole” It’s not like we’ve never heard the word. And although it has been called “vulgar” by some, it is still a part of life for many.  I’m not talking about the President’s reference to other … Continue reading →