I’ve had enough of people who say they are followers of Jesus yet act with hate. This week brought the distressing news that the Westboro Baptist church plans to picket Robin Williams funeral. Believe it or not, the church’s website address is godhatesfags.com. The homepage includes a...
The Best Christmas Present I Have Ever Given
In an effort to resist the consumer orgy that is Christmas, Sandy and I agreed we would not buy each other gifts this year, but we’d make a donation to charity. But not buying gifts for each other didn’t means not giving gifts to each other. With the assistance of modern technology I...
The Value of Non Retaliation
I am reading Darrin Belousek’s Atonement, Justice, and Peace, and have been struck by his argument that Jesus didn’t proclaim the principle of non-violence but of non-retaliation. A commitment to non-violence leaves open the possibility of retaliating in non-violent ways. Jesus however...
My Poker Face
A friend who gave a presentation at church on Sunday commented afterward that, as he was talking, he had been unable to read my reaction. At first I was surprised, for I was thoroughly engaged with what he had been saying. Then it dawned on me…Parkinsons. One of the effects of Parkinsons is...
Losing my Independence. Finding my Humanity
Most days I can no longer do up the button on the left sleeve of my shirt. For that you need fine motor skills in your right hand, something Parkinson’s has taken from me. Buttoning a sleeve sounds such a small thing, but for me not being able to do it it was a milestone. Until now I have...
Birthday Parties for Prostitutes. The Agnes Story
As I sat there munching on my donut and sipping my coffee at three-thirty in the morning the door of the diner suddenly swung open, and to my discomfort, in marched eight or nine provocative and boisterous prostitutes. It was a small place and they sat on either side of me. Their talk was loud and...
Seven Things My Mother Taught Me About Love
The bible teaches that human beings are created in the image of God. We rarely image God perfectly. Rather we are like the crazy mirrors at Luna Park. Stand in front of them and you’ll appear unnaturally tall, short, fat or thin. Nonetheless however imperfect the image may be, at our best we...