The chasm between different branches of Christianity is so deep today that they often seem to have little in common. Yet they all are known by the emblem that Christians have used for centuries to symbolize their belief system — the cross. While theories about the purpose of the cross vary widely, Christians do not deny its

What a baffling task is the first great commandment of Christendom (Mark 12:28-30)! How does one offer love to a God who is all-powerful and reigns over the universe? Is this why religiosity is so filled with rules, rituals, self-abnegation, and the quest for high emotional states? Do we feel that such actions are tokens

I’m traveling to a valley
where children laugh and play,
And people share
and kindly care
and never go away.…

Last month I saw a meme of a Twitter post by a man named Stephan:
“As a Dutchman, I get universal health care, excellent roads, good public transport, and easily accessible high quality education.
As an American, you get to dream that you too will be rich some day.”
What an apt contrast between a society that cares for everyone and a society that…

Lullaby whoever you are
Let sobbing fade to sleep.
Lullaby wherever you are,
whatever has made you weep.
May this melody reach out and find you,
settle your mind at ease.…

The amusement park scene in the movie The Third Man pictures Harry Lime (Orson Welles) conversing with his old friend at the apex of a Ferris wheel about the adulterated penicillin he sold. “Look down there,” says Lime. “Would you feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever?” Implicitly, that sentiment is

Another attempt to mix religion into government took a step toward law in February, 2019, when the Kentucky House of Representatives passed legislation to require that the motto “In God We Trust” be posted in public schools. Kentucky is the seventh state to push religion into government this way. In 2017 Arkansas enacted its own

Houses — rows of colored houses,
Looking all alike or nearly so.
Some have picket fences,
Some have flower gardens,
Some have yards where dandelions grow.
But inside each colored house…

A funny old man has come to town.
His toes curl up, and his nose curls down.
He wears an old hat like Moses must’ve had,
And the rest of him is likewise clad.
He’s a funny man.…