America: A Grumbling Nation
Complaining, griping and fretting. This has become the overarching theme of a nation which has been blessed in such extraordinary ways. Yet, Americans live to grumble. We breathe in fresh air. And exhale polluted expletives. We inhale God’s gift of...
Privilege: A Christian Response
Privilege. It’s a word that has become mainstream today. But before we examine how this word is used today, let’s visit the definition, from the Webster’s Dictionary in 1828: In its simplest definition, privilege is an “advantage, favor or benefit.” But, in a more...
The Call (a poem of focus…)
The Call of a follower of Jesus does NOT include obsessing with everything around us that seems to counter the way we would like the world to go. If you are there, you've lost the joy and peace of your call from the God of the universe, as my poem below attempts...
The Impeachment Trial & US
As I watched some excerpts from Trump’s second Impeachment Trial, it seemed to me that the voices expressed in the Senate Chamber merely echo the millions of voices outside that chamber. One side is convinced they are righteous and the other side is evil. While the...
The Disciples’ Dilemma is Ours Too
Matthew sat down behind his tax collector’s booth. It was just another day for him. He’d been doing this for enough years now that everyone knew he was a wealthy man. He had no external needs, or even wants. Yet he was empty inside. This emptiness had most recently...
Mechanics, Brain Surgery & Politicians
If you use a mechanic for brain surgery, the mechanic will fail, and you may die. If you use a hammer to repair a windshield, the hammer will fail and the windshield will shatter. Likewise, as long as we continue to consult politicians for their answers to problems...
2021: Same Old Song? Just Another Verse?
2021 is here. Another year in a string of years that, when bookended together, represent your life, and mine. Just two days ago a friend of mine passed away. Unexpectedly. The final bookend to his life was 2020. I was profoundly saddened for him and his family. ...
Washington Math: 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back. But There’s a Better Way
As we wrap up 2020, it’s clear that half of America is exhilarated over this year’s electoral results. The other half is anything but. One side is cheering. The other side is jeering. One side will watch with eager anticipation for what Washington will now do. The...
Your Vote. Just One More Test
All of life is a test. From the first moments of creation, God gave Adam an infinite number of wholesome choices, and only one restriction: “you shall not eat...” This was man’s first test. Likewise, today you and I face numerous choices that confirm that God...
When Bullets Litter our Streets
This last weekend I was volunteering at a church being used as a #COVID testing site, in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Chattanooga. I’m grateful to my friend Bill Ulmer, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, and the many healthcare...