This was yesterday’s poem at The Writer’s Almanac: The More Loving Oneby W. H. Auden Looking up at the stars, I know quite wellThat, for all they care, I can go to hell,But on earth indifference is the leastWe have to dread from man or beast. How should we like it were stars to burnWith…
As we prepare to observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, many of us will also take time to make it a part of our worship services as well. I thought I might offer a soundtrack for the weekend, starting with “When the Ship Comes In” by Bob Dylan, which he sang at the…
about the images of buildings lyingflat on top of people, of survivorssleeping in the streets becauseroofs no longer symbolize safety; about those who sit snugly instudios and speak for God withungodly arrogance and ignorance,and those who are helping quietly; about the helplessness that hauntsmy heart on nights like this, whenthe best I can do is…
I wish I knew how it all began. Maybe it was the cold snap last weekend, but then again, maybe not. Something happened, though, and all I was left with was a perfectly viable Internet connection and a MacBook that couldn’t find it. Ginger’s laptop could, but not mine. I let it sit for Friday…
I’m sorry I’ve been silent for a few days. The problem is with my MacBook, not me. For some reason, I can’t get on the Internet here at the house, which makes it hard to post. I’m writing now from Ginger’s computer that doesn’t appear to share my Mac’s reticence to engage. I will be…
I was reading Donald Miller’s blog – Part 2 of a great duo of posts on “Living a Memorable Life,” this one on making memorable scenes – and I was particularly struck by his discussion of the power of a detail: change a the power of a scene by changing the setting. Sometimes a seemingly…
Today was one of the first days in a long time that I had some morning traveling time: I had to drive to Cary, about twenty miles away, for an appointment with my eye doctor, which meant I got to drive home with my eyes dilated and NPR on the radio. I only stopped once:…
It was on January 3, 1899 that The New York Times used the word “automobile” in an editorial, the first known use of that word in English. What would eventually come to be known as automobiles were still very new items, and the first mass production of them in America was two years away. The…
It’s not everyday I think of Jon Cryer and George Buttrick at the same time, but I did today. Our associate pastor quoted Buttrick in her sermon this morning as she talked about the Magi: So we may notice here the beckonings of God. Beckoning: it’s a great word, and it set my mind sailing…
To kick off the new year, I want to reach back to words from my friend, David Gentiles. This quote was printed on the order of service at his memorial. It captures his spirit and is worth passing along: Well, I know that when you’ve been betrayed and attacked and hurt, you sometimes just throw…