Over four years ago, I wrote that the large arc of social change we are experiencing represents the breakdown of the Enlightenment era that has occurred over time. The distrust of expertise that we are witnessing now is evidence of that breakdown. The current move to the right counters the protest movement in the 1960s,…
More Trees Fall
Three years ago I was prompted to write a post about the deaths of several distinguished figures in various fields, using Maya Angelou’s poem “When Great Trees Fall.” The recent deaths of four religious leaders who impacted me greatly inspired these further reflections. Pope Francis (1936-2025) The death of Pope Francis on April 21 made…
The Death of Decency
One of the things that has bothered me most about Donald Trump’s reelection is that it conveys the message that lying, cheating, and demeaning other people pays off. Children learn that bullies with enough money can buy their way into our country’s highest office not once, but twice. I was already contemplating a post under…
Living with Darkness
I’ve often been struck by the fact that so many holidays around this time of year focus on light—the Christian seasons of Advent and Epiphany; Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights; and the Pagan celebration of Yule. The short days and long nights of this season seem to call forth some innate desire for light….
A Stark Choice
We are six weeks out from what may be the most consequential election of our lifetime, and the presidential race remains a statistical tie. The Republican nominee, Donald Trump, is a narcissistic charlatan who will say anything to grab the spotlight and fire up his base. He had never held elected office before being elected…
The Youth Vote
In 1980, I voted for John Anderson in my first presidential election. I was a registered Democrat and felt that Jimmy Carter was an honorable man but an ineffective president. Anderson, a liberal Republican running as an Independent, offered a refreshing choice. Forty-four years later, I still feel good about that vote. Young people should…
A New Reformation
With the exodus of many of its most conservative congregations, the United Methodist Church (UMC) has now fractured over the issue of LGBTQ+ inclusion, as did mainline Episcopal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches before them. The UMC fracture, however, occurred in reverse order: whereas conservative congregations departed the other denominations when they voted to ordain gays…
Balance
In a recent podcast interview, the host asked me how I nurture my own spirituality, and I answered that I do that by seeking balance. A few weeks later, my spiritual director suggested that I work on finding balance in my life, which has pushed and pulled me in many different directions this year. Many…
Thin Places
Death has seemed very present lately. We are in the season for dying things, as much of nature goes dormant for winter. Annual plants die completely, while perennials die back. Trees go out in a blaze of color before their leaves fall. Animals tuck themselves in to hibernate as the winter months approach. For ancient…
Reparations
My first house, a 1927 bungalow oozing charm, cost $43,000 in 1990. The mortgage interest rate was 9.5% and I had very little money to put down, but I as a first-time home buyer, I could finance the closing costs through an FHA loan. I sold that house seven year later for $71,000, and the…