After spending a better part of the last decade investigating extremism, I have learned one thing is consistent within every movement: circular firing squads. Although the group embraces a common disdain for an external enemy, in-fighting somehow always manages to…
Top 10 environmental events of 2024
1. Hottest year on record. 2024 is virtually certain to be the hottest year on record, surpassing the previous hottest year from the prior year, which crushed the next closest year by more than 1 degree. The year included the three…
Senators clear the way for Hegseth’s Christian nationalist crusade
It’s hard to find strong enough adjectives to describe the unmitigated disaster the Senate hearing on the nomination of Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense was. Even the few Republicans who had expressed previous concerns about his nomination handled him…
Of meth sermons and puke dust
I call it “puke dust.” Remember what happened in elementary school when a kid puked in the hall? So it could be absorbed and swept up, a custodian would come and pour that green sawdust-looking stuff upon the putrid puddle….
Will we be the right kind of light to the world?
I love metaphors. I love the meaning they create. I love the dissonance they generate. I love how our imagination goes in a multitude of directions that our logical minds might not explore. All because of metaphors. Metaphors are a…
Here’s the real reason Hegseth should not be confirmed
Pete Hegseth is unfit to lead the U.S. Department of Defense, but not for the reasons most liberals are highlighting. Even if he’s a drunk misogynistic ass — which his critics contend — that’s not enough to get Republicans in…
Hearing voices
At the recent Golden Globes, Demi Moore received the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role in a gruesome, gory horror film. The Substance — which I have not seen — does not sound like…
When our church was tested by fire
Our church has just lived through the worst natural disaster our area of California ever has experienced, and the damage is not fully comprehended yet. On Jan. 7, a fire broke out in the Eaton Canyon area, which is a…
REpiphany
Some days are significant for multiple reasons. Take Epiphany, for instance. Long before I knew what Epiphany was, I knew it was my friend’s birthday. Halfway between mine and my wife’s birthdays, we celebrated him on the sixth day of…
Commentary on Baptism of the Lord Sunday
Invocation “Wade in the Water” Blind Boys of Alabama § §. § §. § For those who track the annual lectionary journey, yesterday’s focus was the “Baptism of the Lord.” It’s a topic near and dear to my heart, since…
Faith, politics and public life: Trump’s inauguration on MLK Day
On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will take the presidential oath of office on the day set aside to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This convergence crystallizes the United States’ ongoing struggle between competing visions of faith and politics in…
Churches must preach the truth on vaccines
One simple way churches could proclaim truth in an era of Trumpian disinformation is to speak plainly about the importance of vaccines. At the height of the COVID pandemic, as many Americans were resistant to what they considered an untested…