“Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of…
Now I know my grandmother was a person, not just an event
Note: This article includes graphic descriptions of suicide. In my life, she wasn’t a person. She was an event. My mother’s mother ended her own life with a shotgun blow to the head. It’s a conversation stopper if there ever…
Honest conversations about grief: Navigating the journey of loss
Grief is an inevitable part of the human experience, an emotional upheaval that comes hand in hand with loss. Whether it be the passing of a loved one, the end of a cherished relationship or even the loss of a…
New methods and legislation increase options — and questions — with our last remains
You may not be able to choose when or how you die, but you have many choices when it comes to taking care of your bodily remains, as new technologies and laws multiply the options and the ethical questions involved….
8-year-old’s death in CBP custody highlights Biden’s ‘system of death,’ immigration advocates say
Some immigrant rights advocates are calling the Biden administration’s border and asylum policies “a system of death” after an 8-year-old migrant girl died May 17 while in American custody at the U.S.-Mexico border. That was the label Hope Border Institute…
The birth of Aya: Harbinger of Lent’s staggering promise
Invocation. “When in the dark orchard at night / The God Creator kneeled and prayed / Life was praying with the One / Who gave life hope and prayer.” —English translation of lyrics from “Wa Habibi,” a Christian hymn of…
Sittin’ up with the dead at Bubba-Doo’s
Some regional traditions are tough to explain if someone isn’t already familiar. So many of the things folks do in any area are easiest learned when we simply grow into them. For instance, in many parts of the country horse…
This Christmas season, let’s not kill Jesus before he’s even born
As Christmas nears, one of my favorite things to do is look at Christmas lights. Nothing feels more festive than driving around that one neighborhood in town with the large historic homes decorated immaculately with twinkling lights and Christmas cheer….
The shock of being 60 years old
I turned 60 years old this past summer. I have not quite gotten over it yet. Sixty is just different. It definitely feels at least three years older than 59. “They” say age is just a number. So maybe this…