Living life with feelings of guilt or shame stinks. If you've lived any significant number of years, chances are you have some regrets. You've probably made some choices and done some things you wish you could take back. I know I certainly have. And it's been really tough for me to make peace with myself. … Continue reading The weight of guilt and shame
The past, memory, and who we really are
I realized I lost a lot of my personal pictures today. It struck me really hard as I come to grips with knowing a lot of the tangible reminders I have of a period of time in my daughter's life and a handful of wonderful trips I've taken may be gone for good. This comes … Continue reading The past, memory, and who we really are
Do not be afraid
If there's any single topic I am convinced I can speak with authority on, it's fear. I've battled fear for as long as I can remember. It colors my childhood memories. The struggle was given a name as a teenager when it became known as panic attacks. Much of my life has been spent trying … Continue reading Do not be afraid
Why in the world am I a Christian?
It’s weird that people choose to be Christian, isn’t it?
To follow the teachings of a guy who lived 2,000 years ago among a marginalized, minority cultural group. To associate with a religion that has several sects that are synonymous with modern-day American zealotry.
Why would anyone, myself included, drink that Kool Aid?
I was born into the Church, but I’ve chosen to continue being Christian as an adult, despite doubts, frustrations, and uncertainty. Why?
For one, I find it to be beautiful.
In itself that’s no justification, but just as it’s rare to come across an outspoken atheist who doesn’t want God to not exist, I have to admit that I want Christianity to be true.
Where Friedrich Nietzsche despised a religion that worships weakness and failure, I celebrate one that recognizes that love requires sacrifice; that teaches that in serving others and denying selfishness I paradoxically find life.
View original post 1,698 more words
Giving up
Sometimes life strikes you a certain way, and your motivation just evaporates. I haven't written anything in this space for a couple months despite having a wonderful trip to my ancestral village in Switzerland, something I fully intended to write about. Truth be told, I have a lot I could say, but what gumption I … Continue reading Giving up
Redeeming family: My journey home
How does your family affect who you are? Can stories of the past still resonate in the present? Each of us is a unique genetic mixture of several ancestors in our mother and fathers' families, and we have long accepted that our human hardware - as it were - is a product of these thousands … Continue reading Redeeming family: My journey home
A word on Confederate monuments
There is an important difference between remembering and honoring. With great hesitation I am submitting my thoughts on the primary motivation for a recent gathering of white supremacists in Charlottesville: the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. My hesitation stems from a desire not to get caught up in any of … Continue reading A word on Confederate monuments