Mark's Blog

There are forces and voices in our increasingly polarized world that want us to view the issues of the day in a binary way: this or that; good or bad. Most issues are more complicated. This blog seeks to invite people to journey beyond the safety, if not the rigidity, of our silo and our ego – to the soul; where we have the opportunity to see things differently.
Hurt People Hurt People

Hurt People Hurt People

“Hurt people hurt people” is much quoted since it became a meme in the late 1950s. It is sometimes critiqued, if not dismissed, as a statement of arrogance or undeserved superiority because it is felt those who observe that hurt people who hurt others are, in effect,...

The Battle for Power

The Battle for Power

It is a battle about power. Power can be defined as the ability to control, if not dominate. Power can also be defined as the ability to build solidarity and cohesion. The battle to control and dominate is becoming more intense as the country approaches an election...

Neighboring Has More Power Than Othering

Neighboring Has More Power Than Othering

It was “neighboring” that did it. Last winter it was neighboring that exposed ICE for its nefarious “othering” practices, and drove its hyper belligerent leader and many of its squadrons out of Minneapolis. The neighboring began spontaneously: food was delivered,...

AI:  A Modern Tower of Babel?

AI: A Modern Tower of Babel?

Science is the discovery of knowledge, regardless of the consequences. So I learned in college. In the last eighty years, with the onset of the information age, scientific discoveries have been both remarkable and life changing. And the consequences of those...

The Fallacy and Danger of Invulnerability

The Fallacy and Danger of Invulnerability

He presents as the paragon of invulnerability. He claims to be right about everything, and is often seen wearing a hat that states it. Because of his ego driven need for domination, coupled with a stream of statements and appearances that are designed to convey an...

Crisis and Gratitude

Crisis and Gratitude

I couldn’t stop saying thank you.To the ER staff, the OR people, the post op crew. To the nurses and doctors, aides and food delivery people. To my family, my friends, my partner Jamie. I couldn’t thank them enough. I came to the Emergency Room at Cape Cod Hospital at...

Charisma:  Blessing the Charism in Others

Charisma: Blessing the Charism in Others

One year after becoming Pope in 1978, John Paul II came to America for a six day visit. He was received with wild enthusiasm everywhere he went, not just by Roman Catholics but by nearly everyone else. He was young (59 years old),a playwright and mountain climber, the...