Getting Better?

Mark Twain, one of America’s wittiest authors, proclaimed that “The man who is a pessimist before 48 knows too much; if he is an optimist after it he knows too little.” Well, I’m over 48. Well over. Yet, I find a blend of both pessimism and optimism within myself. Pessimism: about how America is abandoning widespread cultural values in place of subjective ethics; about the rise in violent crime, particularly in young adults; about growing alcohol and drug abuse. Optimism: about…

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Hope for Today?

Our times oppress us. The war in Ukraine wages on, with news of the first American joining thousands of civilians and soldiers. We’ve seen Mariupol flattened, hospitals bombed. Our country seems in free fall, with inflation and partisanship and violence growing.

Increasing secularism pushes the practice of faith to the periphery. Radicals killed more Christians, for being Christians, in the last century than all combined. A climate scientist just stated that some climate changes may be beyond the point of reversal. You can add your own personal list of concerns.

And many Facebook friends bemoan current conditions, conveying a sense that nothing can be done.

They may be right.

And I don’t…

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Secrets of a Serene Spirit

In a surprise twist, I re-learned the secrets of a serene spirit at a recent memorial service. I met with the family before, and they detailed a very difficult life for their mother Darlene. When just 16, a car accident not only killed the driver in her car, but injured her badly, including the loss of all her teeth. She married three times, and each husband died. Humorously, she wouldn’t marry her longtime boyfriend—she wanted to keep him alive. She lost a young son, one of the most difficult losses when your child dies young. But…

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