Jonathon Swift, (1667-1745), Irish poet, essayist and satirist, observed that “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another”. I have thought about Swift’s maxim on and off over the years in the midst of church conflicts over controversial issues that became hateful. I thought about […]
Weep Together
May 30, 2014 by 4 Comments
The Middle East Peace Talks appear to be at a dead end. It does not seem that either Israel or the Palestinians have the will to negotiate meaningfully. At the last minute Israel reneged on a promise to release Palestinian prisoners and, for good measure, announced the construction of yet more housing in territory claimed […]
Welcoming the Stranger
July 18, 2013 by 2 Comments
I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25: 35 The constitutional right to a trial by a jury of one’s peers is basic to a free society and our individual liberty. I respect that right so much that I am always reluctant to criticize a jury that renders a verdict […]
Hold to the Good 
Dangerous Words
One of the most vexing and sobering historical questions is how, in the 1920’s and 30’s, a nation and culture that produced sublime poetry and music (Goethe and Bach), important philosophers (Hegel and Nietzsche), and elegant theology (Luther and Bultmann), evolved into a murderous, racist, militaristic dictatorship. Much has been written about the anomaly of […]