As the reader probably knows, on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her reign lasted for seventy years, and she was the longest reigning monarch in the history of England. Most British people, from the accounts I’ve read, felt she was a good and noble queen. Not without fault,Continue reading “The King’s Heart in the Lord’s Hands”
Category Archives: News
It Can’t Happen Here
In 1935 acclaimed American writer Sinclair Lewis’s novel “It Can’t Happen Here” was published. The novel described a fascist takeover of America, not from outside but from within. 1935 was a time when many Americans inclined toward communism or fascism. Lewis believed that the greater danger to American democracy was fascism. Many Americans then andContinue reading “It Can’t Happen Here”
The October Surprise
Two weeks ago, commenting on the war in Ukraine, President Joe Biden said “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.” And this week is the sixtieth anniversary of that crisis. JFK’s confrontation with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in October 1962 arose from the discovery in July thatContinue reading “The October Surprise”
Lessons from the Life of a Queen
I was outside relaxing with friends on September 8, when we heard the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. The four of us—including a British church denomination leader, a Royal fine artist, and a previous chief operating officer of the Royal Albert Hall—spent some time reflecting on her extraordinary life. It was particularlyContinue reading “Lessons from the Life of a Queen”
A Timely Look at Trust in the News
An important exhibition opens at the British Library in London this week. It’s an exhibition taking a timely look at the news and the role it plays in our society – and I’m looking forward to visiting it. It opens as ‘the news’ has never been more contentious and, sadly, the public’s trust in journalistsContinue reading “A Timely Look at Trust in the News”
The Dawn of Uncivilzation
(I recommend reading this perspective in more than one setting. I fear that the author might be tragically right. Your reflections are welcome but study it a day or two before submitting. Thank You.) In the fall of 1992, I was a junior at Middlebury College, and I took a seminar on American foreign policy.Continue reading “The Dawn of Uncivilzation”
Russian Priests Call for End to Ukraine Tragedy
More than 280 priests and deacons of the Russian Orthodox Church are calling for reconciliation and an immediate end to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, stressing that “the Last Judgement awaits all.” “We mourn the ordeal to which our brothers and sisters in Ukraine were undeservedly subjected,” the Russian Orthodox clerics wrote in an openContinue reading “Russian Priests Call for End to Ukraine Tragedy”
The World Changed This Morning
This morning, Russia began invading Ukraine. There have been reports of airstrikes in Kiev, the capital, and more than a dozen other cities. The 190,000 Russian troops that had been stationed around the Ukrainian border are now streaming over it. Ukraine has declared martial law. The invasion, Putin explained just before it began, was not reallyContinue reading “The World Changed This Morning”
What You Can Learn from a Bomb Maker
It felt great to be part of something bigger than myself. Especially when I didn’t have a great sense of who I was. Staying busy kept me from having to ponder that question too deeply, and besides, I was doing so much all the time–surely some of it had to be good? Perhaps that memoryContinue reading “What You Can Learn from a Bomb Maker”
The Atrocities Continue in Myanmar
A Christian charity is calling on the international community to take urgent action after reports of at least 35 civilians being burnt alive in Myanmar on Christmas Eve. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said the atrocity was carried out by the Tatmadaw – the Myanmar army – in Kayah State. The victims include elderly people andContinue reading “The Atrocities Continue in Myanmar”