When 4-year-old Abigail Evans burst into tears for no apparent reason, her mother asked what was making her so sad. “I’m tired of Bronco Bama and Mitt Romney,” Abigail wailed between sniffles. Mamma Evans didn’t switch off NPR, but she assured her daughter that…
What Election Day won’t fix
By Miguel De La Torre This Tuesday, we as a nation vote. For some reason, the presidential cycle this year seemed nastier than usual. Emotional rhetoric replaced civil discourse. Rather than assessing the positives and negatives of the respective candidates,…
Looking forward to November 7
Election Day is a day away and living in a battleground state feels like being the lone bachelor on a reality show in which contestants fight over you. I have received more phone calls, mailings, and emails begging for my…
The conflict pandemic
By Bill Wilson Whenever I address a group about the work our organization does, I mention that one of our frequent calls is to help a congregation, staff, judicatory or organization manage conflict. Our conflict intervention calls are on the…
The red inferno
I am totally engulfed in the red inferno. Flames of red and ribbons of yellow lick at my skin, yet I remain cool and indifferent to its intense heat of color. As I strain to look up, up, up, my…
Thoughts on election year conduct
This summer while visiting various sites in the ancient Roman Empire, I tried to brush up on my knowledge of the history of Western Civilization. Just to make a full disclosure, the only “D” I made in college was in…
For all the saints
If you are a Baptist, chances are, yesterday came and went without much notice in your church. But it was All Saints’ Day. Every year, on Nov. 1, Christian churches gather to remember and give thanks for the Christian saints who…
Confessions of a sitting duck
By Amy Butler The expression “like sitting ducks” seems apropos for those of us on the East Coast last week. We knew for several days that a huge storm was headed our way, and so we waited, glued to news…
Election day communion
With the Presidential debates well over, millions of people are heading to the polls. One of the key voting blocks will have an opportunity to make their vote a spiritual act. My church, The First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa,…