Ken Bradstock had something valuable to say. A lot, actually. Enough to fill a book. I hope he got it down, on paper or on disk, whatever, before he died on January 22. If I remember right, I first noticed Ken during the bad days of turmoil among North Carolina pastoral Quakers. Ken had been … Continue reading Ken Bradstock, Edward Hicks & Me
Here are three great snippets from Rain Dogs,the latest mystery by Adrian McKinty I just read, a terrific tale set in Northern Ireland during “The Troubles.” It’s Book #5 in a series I started just a week ago, and have binge read in seven days. Like I said in a blurb: Catholic & Protestant, war & … Continue reading Nuggets from a Mystery Reading Binge
A report in The Guardian on December 28 compellingly describes the small, marginalized religious resistance to the self-described ”Christian” authoritarianism of the current Hungarian regime. In this sketch there is much to learn and reflect on for those Americans who feel called to a similar path. The anti-democratic drive of the Viktor Orban government to undermine … Continue reading The Hungarian Religious Resistance: a Mirror & a Beacon to Our Own
So how offensive is this? “Today I join millions around the world in celebrating the arrival of divinity on earth, who came into this world not in riches but in poverty, not as a citizen but as a refugee. No matter where or how we celebrate, merry Christmas.” That’s mayor Pete Buttigieg’s Xmas tweet, complete … Continue reading Mayor Pete & his notorious (2019 Christmas) Tweet
One day in 1980, I was at my desk on an upper floor of a way-past-its-prime hotel that had become a staff office annex for the U. S. House of Representatives. My boss — Congressman Pete McCloskey of California, wanted some information about an obscure part of a not-so-well-known energy bill: say, Section 227D of … Continue reading Wanna Call John Dingell? Don’t Ring Through Hell