Unmasking The Trauma Of Mental Healthcare
Over 50% of prisoners have been diagnosed with either bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. It is obvious to me that the greater good is better served by helping the vulnerable become stronger and the ill become healthy. My son is one of those people who ended up in the system because of trauma-triggered mental illness and lack of appropriate, timely intervention by medical staff who should have seen the signs of addiction. Continue reading Unmasking The Trauma Of Mental Healthcare
Does America Have Capacity for the Enduring Qualities of Change?
Change. That word—three syllables that shake the bones of a nation built on sandcastles, fragile and crumbling under the weight of its own contradictions. Does America have the capacity to endure the tremors that come with shifting toward justice, toward … Continue reading Does America Have Capacity for the Enduring Qualities of Change?
Resting Upon Fallen Leaves
Does America Have the Capacity for the Enduring Qualities of Change? Let’s take a moment to ponder. They gazed into the heavens, and at first shine, they glowed, and they blazed in the brilliance of the color spectrum of magnificence. … Continue reading Resting Upon Fallen Leaves
Attending to the Past, Dreaming of the Future
Change is hard for many people, both individually and collectively. As a pastor, one of my roles is to help people amid significant life changes: weddings, funerals, illnesses, and job changes, to name a few. People look to the church … Continue reading Attending to the Past, Dreaming of the Future
Kýrie
I was raised in a Norwegian Lutheran tradition in the rural Midwest. The “Kýrie” is an important prayer in Christian liturgy. Like a prairie fire, Kýrie disrupts and awakens. With song like a prairie, Kýrie is a call for healing … Continue reading Kýrie
The Temperature in the Room: Is America Ready to Tip the Scale?
As America stands at a crucial crossroads, whether we are ready to tip the scale toward meaningful change becomes increasingly pressing. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell describes the tipping point as a pivotal moment when an idea, trend, or … Continue reading The Temperature in the Room: Is America Ready to Tip the Scale?
Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart?
I will confess that I’ve found myself many times in a place of giving up on this country ever healing and changing. For all the talk of being a “melting pot”, I look back over the past and present of … Continue reading Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart?
The Inevitable Evolution of Multiethnic Democracy: Colonization’s Long Shadow and the Fight for Justice
As the leaves change during autumn, we are reminded of nature’s inherent cycles of transformation. In much the same way, America is undergoing a profound demographic shift, evolving into a multiethnic democracy. By 2045, people of color will outnumber white … Continue reading The Inevitable Evolution of Multiethnic Democracy: Colonization’s Long Shadow and the Fight for Justice
The October Theme: The Enduring Qualities Of Change
The Enduring Qualities Of Change. “Just Like the Seasons, People Have the Ability to Change.” Unknown Author The question for this hour is, Does America Have the Capacity for the Enduring Qualities of Change? The fall foliage, which is quickly … Continue reading The October Theme: The Enduring Qualities Of Change
Three-Fifths 