The Power of Force and the Power of Love

The Power of Force and the Power of Love

“He should resign”, I proclaimed – loudly, in the hallway of the church where I served.  It was a proclamation I issued with an energy and conviction that surprised me.  And which, no doubt, surprised the people who heard me.  I had been a strong supporter of...
Fear, Gun Violence and Hospitality

Fear, Gun Violence and Hospitality

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”  So wrote Julian of Norwich in the mid 14th century from her tiny cell which was attached to the Norwich Cathedral in England.  Yet for the city, and for Julian, all was...
Intellectual Scrutiny vs. Religious Expression

Intellectual Scrutiny vs. Religious Expression

“While in college, his Jesuit formation did not stand up to intellectual scrutiny.”  So said the introduction to my college’s new president in the Alumni magazine published several decades ago.  Intellectual rigor won out over religious expression.  Again. By the time...
The World As it Is vs. the World As it Should Be

The World As it Is vs. the World As it Should Be

It is a tension that has confounded people for centuries:  ‘the world as it is’ vs. ‘the world as it should be’.   Most people make some commitment to doing something that will help bring about the world as it should be, but their commitment may falter, or may even be...
Pride:  a Refusal to Accept our Limitations

Pride: a Refusal to Accept our Limitations

I have not been one who has subscribed to the notion of original sin, which is the legacy Christians have inherited from Adam and Eve, whom the Judeo-Christian tradition have identified as the first man and first woman.  We meet them in the Garden of Eden, which is...