The Conscience of the Country

 Kings, Prophets, and Presidents: A Warning about Power Abuse (Part 3 of 4) We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. Elie Wiesel The stories about Kings David and Ahab abusing their power are the basis of these few posts. …

Less Prickly

Disease and divorce have given me more than a greater sense of mortality and frailty. They’ve taught me more about my solidarity with the human race than I ever learned in my former life. Up until recently I spent most of my white middle class male life with people that look and act pretty much …

Presidential Power Plays

Kings, Prophets, and Presidents: A Warning about Power Abuse (Part 2 of 4) “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Abraham Lincoln Power abuse is nothing new to humanity. Man’s inhumanity to man is as old as humanity itself, especially with respect to the …

Authentic Attention

The neighborhoods I frequent in order to make friends with God host many men and women who have long conversations with themselves and scream at invisible antagonists. Their minds are mush from birth, from abuse, from profuse amounts of inebriants, or all of the above. These are sinking shipwrecked humans with not much left of …