This is a revised draft of a talk given in DCCatholic’s Summer Theology on Tap series on July 15, 2014. God is Friendship Good evening to you all. I first want to thank you for coming to this event and thank you for coming together. Among my favorite scripture passages is Psalm 133, which opens… Read More Beyond Networking: Fostering Authentic Friendships
Today is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the “Jesuits”). The Jesuits are a religious order, officially founded in 1540 and currently numbering over 18,000 priests, brothers, and men in formation. While they are active in a wide variety of ministries throughout the world, they are… Read More Five Things I Learned from the Jesuits
I get asked a lot why I am so obsessed with travel. The answer varies from day to day, but I think the core of it remains the same: I travel because it reminds me how infinitely good the world is, despite all the evidence to the contrary. If ever you were looking for one… Read More Despite All the Evidence to the Contrary
The militant group ISIS, which invaded Iraq from Syria and began seizing control of Iraqi cities several months ago, has systematically persecuted religious and ethnic minorities, forcing many to flee. The terrorist organization imposed Sharia law this past June and recently prevented Christian services from being held in Mosul for the first time 1600 years.… Read More Standing with Iraq’s Christians – And All of Its Persecuted Innocents
We fight for rights, but not for each other – or even for ourselves. “Reared on protest marches, I had a NOW poster affixed to my bedroom wall. I was an unwavering believer in the fierce rhetoric of pro-choice. And now: a poster child.” At 22 years old, artist Lisa Selin Davis scheduled her abortion.… Read More When Rights Meet Reality
American soccer fans couldn’t help but cringe when the US Men’s National Soccer Team was defeated by Belgium last week and was sent back home from Brazil. A part of me was secretly hoping that this would be a historic World Cup in which the US would go farther than it ever had before in… Read More “Let the Children Come to Me” vs. Nativism
Yesterday’s readings, two days after Pentecost, feature Jesus giving his disciples a mission. He tells them “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.” They are tasked with bringing some seasoning and illumination to all the nations. They are, as Elwood Blues would say, on a mission from… Read More Led by the Spirit into the Unknown
Millennial 