Religion

There has been too much senseless violence caused by firearms in this country. Recently, three nine-year olds were killed at a Nashville Christian school and an unarmed African-American teenager, Ralf Yarl, was shot in Kansas City because he rang the wrong doorbell. Here in...

Often when we meet other people, we exchange information about what we “do”—our work, our job, our studies, our recreational activities, hobbies, family obligations and more. Our lives have much doing in them, and that is good and what we’re made for. Just as much,...

This Sunday, April 20, Christians throughout the world celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus. For Christians, Easter is the most important day of the year (Christmas is a distant second) and this year all Christians celebrate it on the same day.  The date of Easter...

Egyptians call it Om al Donia, the mother of all nations. If you ask an Egyptian why, he or she will give a full list from the oldest civilization to the best falafel sandwich you will ever have! Here is my interpretation why Egypt has...

In the summer of 1975, my friends and I built a treehouse in a large tree located in an open field near our homes. This was the best place to be a kid. All of the neighborhood hung out there. During that same summer, there...

I am fascinated by etymologies, the origins of words. As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m thinking about the origin of our English word “thank.” It comes from the P.I.E. (Primitive Indo-European) root tong, to think. Thank is related phonetically to think, as sang is to...

The Father of our nation, George Washington, had a remarkable correspondence with the first Catholic Bishop in the United States, John Carroll. At the time Catholics were, at best, 1% of the population of the young nation and were living in only two states:...

Most of us have seen a caricature artist at a fair or amusement park. In just a few minutes, they can draw a face that looks familiar but exaggerated. The nose is bigger, the smile wider, the eyes brighter. It’s recognizable, but not quite...

On Oct. 7, 1885, a 16-year-old German barber named Friedrich boarded a ship for New York.  Fleeing the military service then required in Germany, he became one of more than 1 million German immigrants who flooded these shores between 1880 and 1885.  Once he had...

Each January brings the renewal and optimism of a new year. A time to start anew and recommit to being the best version of ourselves. As part of this, many choose to set goals to help them focus their efforts and prioritize their time...