Did God Choose President Trump?
The inauguration of President Donald Trump was replete with prayers, scripture readings, exhortations, and benedictions by clergy from...
Successful—or Merely Popular?
The new season of “Black Mirror,” a “Twilight Zone” TV program now produced by Netflix, opens with an episode nicely terrifying for our...
Yes, but What about That?
There’s nothing like social media, and particularly Facebook and Twitter, to see how people’s minds work. Or don’t. If one can step back...
And Having Said That about Seminaries…
I promised to represent people who responded to a previous post about seminary education, and I’m glad to do so. As one might have...
What the Governor-General Got Right
I was a bit hard on Her Majesty’s representative last week as I encouraged her to stick to what she knows and what her office...
The Governor-General and Good Government
The furore continues over Governor-General Julie Payette’s attempt to solve several outstanding problems in one speech. She’s only one...
Write It Out and Write It Down
“So why didn’t you get the job? I thought you were the clear favourite?” “The president said that I was too ‘feisty.’” “What in the world...
One Hour at a Time
[The following is my address to the academic chapel of Crandall University this past September.] “The lyf so short, the craft so long to...
Keeping Relationships in an “Unfriending” World
Perhaps you can help me with this. I’m trying to decide whether to find a new mechanic for my car. The problem with my current mechanic...
Another Scandal: Why Are We Still Surprised?
Dr. Arthur Porter is officially dead and charges against him have therefore been dropped. He is merely the latest hero to be toppled from...
A Dash of Cold Water for Christian Anarchism
[NOTE: This originally appeared in Geez (Winter 2012): 38-39. I sent a copy to a friend recently, and it made me think others might like...
Taking a Break from Trump
Yes, yes, I know. It’s horrible, but one can’t look away. The slow-motion car wreck that, for many of us, is the U.S. presidency...
Mike Pence and the Liberal Moral Police
American Vice-President Mike Pence set commentators across the cultural spectrum all a-twitter this past week as it emerged that he had...
Avoiding Compassion Fatigue in an ADHD World
Remember Biafra? If you’re of a certain age—likely, 60 years old or more—you might remember magazine covers and TV shows devoted to the...
Bonhoeffer on “The View from Below”
With clear recognition that the following is, for me, in the “aspiration” column rather than the “accomplishment” column, I set out for...