The Subject of Words

March 1, 2015 8:35 am

While tempted to write this week about the colors of dresses and the escape of llamas, or perhaps the arrival of a new ice age in Williamson County, or Kanye and Beck, or Birdman (about which I surely will write), I can’t escape bringing to your attention a somewhat more mundane theme – the subject of words. The conventional wisdom of the age is that we live in a time when the power of visual image has eclipsed the potency of the pen. I’m not convinced. In fact I can’t escape the feeling that I am swimming through a sea... Read this post

Lent on the Beach

February 22, 2015 11:45 am

The snow and ice we’ve both enjoyed and endured this past week not only led to panic in the bread aisle along with school closures, but to the cancellation of a what is in many Christian churches a deeply meaningful worship gathering: the Ash Wednesday services that mark the beginning of Lent. In New York City (where they know how to handle the snow), St. Patrick’s Cathedral was open – and welcomed over 50,000 worshipers through its doors on Wednesday. FIFTY THOUSAND. In one day. And a Wednesday at that! Which rather begs the question, “What’s with the ashes?” What... Read this post

Love is Worth the Risk

February 15, 2015 9:00 am

With an emphasis on chocolate and romance the weekend before us will probably be marked by some full and happy hearts, side by side with the shattered. Love hurts as well as it heals, and its absence can make painful what others find delightful. Yet we continue to find love worth the risk, and we’ve sung its praises for centuries. Granted, we often sound terribly confusing when it comes to the subject of love. We say that we ‘love’ a good steak, that we ‘love’ the Titans (really?), and ‘love’ a favorite movie, while employing the same word to describe... Read this post