In political campaigns and religious statements, we spend a lot of time talking about our brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, and pew-mates who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and about what they do. We spend significantly less time listening and speaking to and with one another as brothers and sisters. The questions we are addressing… Read More Let Us Grow Together in Holiness
In college my friends often used to say that they had never met anyone as proud to be from somewhere as I was to be from Boston. And why shouldn’t I? We have every benefit of living in a world class city, plus such close proximity to beautiful beaches in the summer and mountains in… Read More A concerned parent runs for office, wins my vote
This week I attended a talk entitled, “Why Your Young, Catholic Vote Matters”. Before the speaker took the podium, each table group answered a few questions, including: “What brings you here tonight?” The responses from the seven talented, college-educated millennial professionals at my table ranged from curiosity to confusion. A handful expressed outright disengagement with… Read More Young Catholic Values Guide Them in Upcoming Election
Last year I had the privilege of teaching a theology course on Christian faith, service, and solidarity. It was filled with more than sixty college students (mostly seniors) who were deeply committed to these topics in their personal life and wanted a more rigorous, academic exploration into subjects like altruism, compassion, kinship, and advocacy. It… Read More Shouldering Our Weight
When six Sikh men and women in Oak Creek, Wisconsin were murdered while at worship, for the first time in many years I thought of my Sikh uncle. In the weeks that followed the shooting, I found myself talking with my mother about him and his personality, history, brothers, sisters, and friends. In the 1960s,… Read More Religious Freedom and Dialogue: From Vatican II to Oak Creek
I remember that day a few years ago when the Pope sat at his desk with an iPad in front of him. Surrounded by his staff, he lifted his hand and tapped the screen, sending out a (prepared) tweet to launch the Vatican news portal. It was an endearingly awkward moment of traditional meets modern… Read More Following @Jesus outside #FollowFriday
By the time this piece posts, the blogosphere will be awash in commentary about the first presidential debate of the 2012 general election. Pundits will weigh in on word choice and policy platforms. Fashion bloggers will be talking about the color of the men’s ties. And students of Aristotle and Socrates will be weeding through… Read More Don’t Be Fooled, Politicians Are Not Our Saviors
