By Laura Rector I was temporarily homeless this summer after I lost my below market-rate housing in California to a planned development. This transition meant spending about 40 days without a true residence and sleeping in hotels or friends and…
A fair Christmas
By LeDayne McLeese Polaski “It’s not fair!” If you are a parent, you likely hear this several times a day — everything from dessert sizes to bedtimes are occasions for children to spot real or imagined unfairness. The truth is,…
In light of the Paris attacks, is it time to eradicate religion?
Paris is where a long trail of blood and tears, meandering through the centuries and from continent to continent, has now stopped – for a brief while. The Islamic State has taken the responsibility for the 129 dead and more…
The story of the poor widow and giving, taxation and deep faith
By Chuck Queen What are we to make of the Gospel story of the poor widow who put in the temple treasury all she had to live on (Mark 12:41-44)? In the previous Markan paragraph Jesus denounces the self-righteousness of…
Trust in Jesus, except with wealth
By Seth Vopat When in doubt, turn to the Gospels. Uncertain where to go, trust in Jesus. The red letters — which is Christian language for words attributed to Jesus — will show you how to follow. Except for when…
Another good candidate for the new $10 bill
A couple of months ago I suggested (here) that Jane Addams would be a good choice for the new $10 bill, which will have a woman’s picture on it. This article is about another woman who is also a strong…
The Starbucks flap
By Russ Dean It starts this time every year, but thanks to South Park Mall in Charlotte, N.C., and Starbucks, the Christmas War is off with a bang. You know, Starbucks hates Jesus. So says Mr. “Merry Christmas,” who’s taking…
Social Security. Not individual security.
Speaking from a perspective of enlightened self-interest, it’s clear that in a capitalist economy the stronger the lower and middle classes are, the more money those at the top are going to have. And speaking from a perspective of faith,…
7 reasons not to participate in Operation Christmas Child this year
Each and every year around this time, thousands of churches around the country participate in an organization called Operation Christmas Child. If you are unfamiliar with Operation Christmas Child, the gist is this: churches distribute pre-printed shoebox-sized cardboard boxes, which…