A while ago I discussed the unrecognized presence of every-day fascism in American life – often disguised as “liberalism” simply because it is embraced by left-leaners. (Of course fascism has… Read more Why Fascists Want Mothers Working →
When we Christians teach about the Old Testament sacrifices, we often place much emphasis upon the death of the animal. Do we believe that the moment of death is the moment that God reconciles himself to sinners? Does he venerate death so much? As a teenager I felt horror at the thought of the innocent animal, completely unconcerned in this divine drama, dying for sins that people had committed, because God was otherwise unable to forgive. My viewpoint now is a little different. It’s been a while since I examine… Read more Christ The Quiet Conversationalist →
Large families, when things are oiled smoothly with courtesy and grace and fair treatment and forgiveness… and good food and other things… can be very merry groups of people. Josh and I are fortunate to have lots of siblings and cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents, and getting together with them is one of the great pleasures of our lives. When you’re freshly married there’s a strong pull in another direction – to form a family identity for your new family. A big extended family is somewhere between public… Read more Holidays; Family; Santa; Generosity; Expectations; Stockings; Tradition; The Prince of Liechtenstein; Best Kid Gifts →
So if every one is supposed to govern himself and his own affairs and not steal the power of others or cede his own power to someone else – what is obedience for? Christians particularly may wonder about this, given scriptural admonitions about obedience. Obedience is not giving your power to someone else and it is certainly not allowing anyone else to take your power – the coherence of your soul, your will. Obedience is the only civilized way of wielding someone else’s power on their behalf, as their steward.… Read more Power and Obedience →
I’m always trying to think of ways to contact and minister to the inner city folk, without hosting Operation This-Time-We’re-Hip-Enough or whatever. What are we, after all, if we can’t help the worst off ones? It struck me that we might hold events in which Priests bless inner-city children. We could let mothers know that they can bring their children to be blessed at a certain time and place. And women and priests can be there, maybe some fathers since most of these kids don’t have any. And the children… Read more A Quick Idea →
Ah, Wisconsin! Where the landscapes look like patchwork quilts shaken out by gods of earth and sky; and where June is Dairy Month. After the traffic hell that is Chicago, I crossed the border into my home state and pulled over at the first exit for a rest stop. I stretched; my limbs creaked and eased and my knuckles sank into the good Wisconsin turf lipped by the white flowers and fine green disks of our humble Wisconsin clover. White flowers of clover are good refreshment. If you ever find yourself wandering on a dirt pathway… Read more Of White Clover Blossoms and One-Horned Muskopods →
The Wall Street Jounal Online linked to this recent blogpost about Russia, National Intelligence and the Mythical Iranian Nuclear Program. A Putin-admirer we all know and love is the intelligent author of this post.
Slow Literature 