When I say, “Hello, my name is George, and I am a Facebook addict,” the proper response from a 12-step group is, “Hello, George.” I love posting on Facebook and sharing with folks what is going on, and particularly sharing…
No longer in-valid
Invalid: “One who is incapacitated by illness or disability” In-valid: “Null; Not legally or factually valid” “Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids…
Maybe preachers count after all
We stepped up to the desk and the attendant gave instructions about the pre-op procedure, the location of the waiting room, restroom, vending machines and what to expect over the next few hours. She informed the wife and son of…
Post election thoughts and raising bicultural children: fears, challenges and opportunities
La versión en español está disponible aquí. During the recent presidential election, I observed with dismay the counting of the electoral votes. As I tried to deal with the night’s stress, I resorted to intense cooking (at least for my…
Reflexiones post electorales y la crianza de niños/as biculturales: temores, desafíos y oportunidades
An English version is available here. Durante las recientes elecciones presidenciales, observé con consternación el recuento de los votos electorales. Tratando de lidiar con el estrés de esa noche, me puse a cocinar vigorosamente (al menos de acuerdo a mis…
The moment the Church has been working for
Objectively speaking, there has been very little in the political world that one might call good about the months leading up to the election. Now that the election is over (sort of), for Christian leaders everywhere there is at least…
The deeper truth behind end-times speculation: Be ready!
The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent (Matt. 24:36-44) is one I remember from the days I clutched a Scofield Reference Bible. Along with Scofield’s infallible notes I carried around a copy of Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great…
Becoming human despite our fear
In the past month we have seen one set of fears replaced by another, which has made the deep division within American society even more visceral. President-elect Donald Trump recognized the fear in many Americans and leveraged that fear for…
Fidel is dead, but I won’t dance in the streets
For many of my compatriots, belonging is measured by the intensity of righteous indignation generated toward Fidel. If I don’t join them in dancing in the streets, then I must truly be an apologist for Fidel. But regardless as to how justified my hostility toward Fidel may be, I refuse to base my actions and responses on hatred.
Jesus, Trump and the American Dream
The election is over and the season of recrimination begins. Donald Trump will be president, some say, because rural white America is a sinkhole of fundamentalist racism. Others blame the outcome on the aloof arrogance of a latte-swilling “coastal elite”…
At Thanksgiving, the bigger person
This is not a call to loosen our belts, to push away from the table or to count calories this Thanksgiving. This is not an endorsement of products marked with claims of half the fat, low fat, skim or light….
Putting an end to prayer vigils
Jewish synagogues have been defaced with swastikas. Latina women have been threatened. Muslim women have been forced to remove their hijabs. On Veterans Day, Marie Boyle, a U.S. army veteran from the Philippines, was told to “Go back to Mexico.”…