No Kings rally, Illinois State Capitol, Oct. 18, 2025 (screenshot, Debi Edmund). In the past 65 years, I have probably joined, watched and/or covered literally hundreds of rallies, lobby days, demonstrations, political speeches, festivals, street fairs and other outdoor events. Saturday's No Kings rally in front of the Illinois State Capitol was one by far … Continue reading ‘If I am only for myself, what am I?’: No Kings placard raises moral imperative. If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
‘Waiting for the spark’: Christian authors prepare to resist Jim Crow (Señor Cuervo?), Trump’s incipient fascism
Kristin Du Mez CONNECTIONS, Substack ['about' page]. For the past eight to 10 months, I've drawn comfort and inspsiration, in the root sense of the word, from a podcast featuring historian Kristin Du Mez of Calvin University and three other scholars of religion. They collaborate on a (more-or-less) weekly podcast called the Convocation Unscripted, where … Continue reading ‘Waiting for the spark’: Christian authors prepare to resist Jim Crow (Señor Cuervo?), Trump’s incipient fascism
‘Let me tell you a story’: Awkward truths about prodigal son(s), empire, pigsties and the interpretation of parables
Jacob Jordaens, 'Prodigal Son,' 1640 (Wikimedia Commons). Luke 15:1-3, 11ff. (NRSVue). Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable [...]:11 “There was a man who had two … Continue reading ‘Let me tell you a story’: Awkward truths about prodigal son(s), empire, pigsties and the interpretation of parables
Swapping nativity stories with Jesus over the noon buffet at an Indian restaurant on Christmas day: A quasi-Jesuit exercise
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem (Wikimedia Commons) What follows is my latest attempt at an Ignatian contemplation, which the Jesuit author James Martin defines as "using your imagination to place yourself in a scene from Scripture, or with Jesus." In this one I imagine myself in an F2F conversation today with Jesus. Certain culinary details … Continue reading Swapping nativity stories with Jesus over the noon buffet at an Indian restaurant on Christmas day: A quasi-Jesuit exercise
Fishers of men? — A Jesuit spiritual exercise that turned into a first-century Palestinian fish story (or parable?)
James Tissot, ‘Appearance of Christ,’ 1890. Brooklyn Museum (Wikimedia Commons) He comes as yet unknown into a hamlet of Lower Galilee. He is watched by the cold, hard eyes of peasants living long enough at a subsistence level to know exactly where the line is drawn between poverty and destitution. [...] Jesus, finding his own voice, … Continue reading Fishers of men? — A Jesuit spiritual exercise that turned into a first-century Palestinian fish story (or parable?)
The parable of the mustard seed, the historical Jesus, the kingdom of God and a couple of kudzu jokes (Pentecost III)
Mustard plants in Galilee (I think the sign says 'no trespassing' in Hebrew) Mark 4 (NSRV). 26 [Jesus] also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of … Continue reading The parable of the mustard seed, the historical Jesus, the kingdom of God and a couple of kudzu jokes (Pentecost III)
‘… and who is my neighbor?’ — a parable for a time of civil discord (as angry Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol)
Screen shot from Washington Post, Jan. 11, 2021. Video by Joy Sharon Yi. I'm sure Kate Woodsome of the Washington Post didn't set out to write a parable when she covered the mob of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week. That's not what reporters do. She's the Post's op ed video editor, and … Continue reading ‘… and who is my neighbor?’ — a parable for a time of civil discord (as angry Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol)
Ordinary Time 