I want to share my thoughts on the two ends of a conceptual telescope I will call “Character." Not character like someone in a novel, but as with: The aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. Qualities of honesty,...
The confluence of Father’s Day and my 75th birthday within two days of each other this year reminded me of the power of families, and of the key role of fathers in the family. My father turned 75 in 1993, when I was 46. Like all of us, he was imperfect. But he was...
We are living through an unmitigated disaster in Afghanistan. We created it, and we should all be repulsed and ashamed. And by “we”, I mean all of us. The disaster is worth examining on at least three levels. At the lowest level, on the ground in Central Asia, can...
I am very concerned about finding and acting on the Truth, as any reader of my recent posts will attest. As a student of Russian History who made my first visit to Leningrad in 1969 at the age of 22, I have always been aware of how the Soviet State bent “truth” to...
Many aspects of this post will not be easy to read—they’re not easy to write. I’m working on a fourth novel, set in D.C., with angels and demons which are visible to the reader, though not to the characters in the story, similar to my first novel, On The Edge. This...
Let’s take a break from the current political fracas and consider a subject which will be with us until long after the next election: Spiritual Warfare and the Family. First, let me stipulate that I know there are some troubled families that are seriously...
I truly believe that Black lives matter. The question I’m about to ask is not snarky or a rhetorical gimmick. It is a genuine question which I hope one or more Progressives will answer. To some--even many--people Black lives matter, unless they are about to be...
I’m writing about a struggle I have almost daily: Focusing on deepening relationships vs accomplishing tasks on my To Do List. My friend and teacher, Ken Boa notes that there are two words in Greek which we translate into English as “time.” Both are ordained and...
I don’t get it. If you are a Progressive and want to argue for higher taxes, Medicare for all, student debt forgiveness, wealth redistribution, even socialism, though I probably won’t agree with you, let’s talk. But when you advocate for making it as easy as possible...
In this season of graduation speeches, I thought it would be good to revisit three important words which we rarely hear in public use, and whose original meanings are therefore fast disappearing. I will start with tolerance, defined as a fair, objective, and...
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