by Mark Beckwith | Dec 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
When we get scared, we seek protection. And so many of us are scared – of increasing violence, of a precarious democracy, of growing polarization, of progressing climate change. And on and on – a veritable cascade of fear. One mode of protection for many, at least...
by Mark Beckwith | Dec 13, 2022 | Uncategorized
The people who walked in darkness… This past week I met many people who regularly walk in darkness. I attended a two-day Gun violence prevention summit in Washington DC. There were some two hundred of us from all over the country – advocates, policy shapers,...
by Mark Beckwith | Dec 5, 2022 | Uncategorized
With a gentle smile and a calm demeanor, the Japanese Zen priest spoke to his largely Western sitting group – in English: “Westerners seem to bring an extra challenge when engaged in meditation. When the dust appears – as it inevitably does in the form of...
by Mark Beckwith | Nov 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
America is awash in guns. With a little over 4 percent of the world’s population, Americans own 42 percent of the world’s guns. Gun purchases across the country have skyrocketed. Restrictions on the carrying and permitting of firearms have eased in many states;...
by Mark Beckwith | Nov 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
We are framed by stories. Our values, horizons and purpose are shaped by the stories that we have heard, read and absorbed. Some of those stories are constructed – and refracted, to reinforce prejudices and resentments. While we don’t yet know for sure if the...
by Mark Beckwith | Nov 15, 2022 | Uncategorized
The mid-term election results are almost all in. The Democrats have a slight majority in the Senate, and it looks as though the Republicans will have a slim majority in the House. Some will say this represents a balance of power; other would argue that it is a...
