Christian Wiman: The Poet And Accidental Evangelist
Christian Wiman is well known in the poetry world for a variety of things, most of which wreak of integrity. He is the editor of Poetry Magazine, one of the nation’s foremost literary publication. As editor it has been noted that his poems have…
Of God And Particles
Today’s announcement by the scientists at CERN that they have discovered a subatomic particle that my very well be the fabled Higgs boson will rate headlines, that for the average citizen, will amount to a sound bite no more remarkable than the one that…
Blue Skies In A Red World: What The Election of 2012 Has Taught This Weary American
Like many Americans, the election of 2012 has left me exhausted. The constant ideological pounding by both parties has assaulted my consciousness like a continual mantra of trouble, hate and blame. In my home state, it remained to be seen, until last…
The Word: Living In Language
In 2012, my good friend Terri Long, author of In Leah’s Wake invited me to participate in a short essay extravaganza on her blog site entitled For the Love of Love. Forty authors were asked to write short essays of various types on the topic of…
Christian Kindness On The Road To Nirvana
I would not have received the Buddhist training that I did over these past thirty years if it had not been for the love and compassion of two Catholic priests. In 1982, a friend of mine fished me out of a house where I had been living with ten other…
Parenting Inside A Hero Narrative
A long time ago, children played role playing games while climbing on gravel piles wherein one might be Superman and another Wonder Woman. In the course of acting out this very physical drama, children worked their bodies while they worked out the moral…
Calm In Conflict: Are Women Truly Prepared For The Competitive Business World?
My daughter took her first martial arts lesson when she was four. She had no choice. I was the children’s instructor at our dojo. Both my daughter and my son spent their Saturday mornings hurling other children around a padded canvas mat, learning to…
This Is My Daughter, This Is Your Daughter: Egypt’s Blue-Bra Girl
I have daughters. I demand freedom. I will not be a slave nor will I stand idly by for a single moment while ignorant animals of power abuse the innocent. I am a warrior by nature. I have a voice and I have a fist. Many people want to know why an…
The Meaning Of Christmas To This Thankful Buddhist
Over two thousand years ago, a baby was born who was raised to care about his people. He lived at time when the machine of Roman conquest had reduced Israel to a feeder colony for the most highly organized global economy known to man until recently. As…
Don’t Make Our Children Fight For Our Freedom Alone
The holiday season here is nearing a close. Millions of American children are already ignoring the many gifts that they received for Christmas. Young people everywhere are texting each other making plans for New Year’s Eve. It has been a great year…