When what we wear affects how we write
“Put your pants on, and come with me!” In good fun, this is what my father-in-law said he’d say if he ever caught me in bed with his daughter before we got married. Turns out, it’s great advice for writers. In a hobby and profession that lends itself to comfy clothes and couches, sometimes the best advice is to put on an actual pair of pants.
Today’s Covid world is getting a taste of the writer’s life. Daily showers, business wear, and shoes are a thing of the past, and in many instances, clothing is optional. …
When committing to pray becomes and act of avoidance
In a recent conversation about racism in the church, Fr. Azariah France-Williams shared about his mother and how, when she brought up instances of racial injustice she experienced, the response from church leaders was, “Let’s pray about it sister.”
It struck me that we often use prayer as a side step. Instead of engaging with others through their difficulty, we commit to pray and wipe our hands of the matter. Prayer becomes an escape goat for doing our part without really ever doing our part.
In the case of Azariah France-Williams’ mother, a prayer was offered, but the racial injustice was never truly addressed. …
How a global pandemic forced me to make new friends
Until recently, my entire life was wrapped up in being an evangelical Christian. I was part of a culture that tended to reserve genuine friendship for other evangelicals. While I had acquaintances outside of the evangelical church, I didn’t have authentic relationships.
Sure, there were the odd work parties my wife and I attended, or the occasional get-togethers with other school families, but these weren’t the people I shared life with. These relationships lacked the weekly hangouts “just because” and the ongoing text thread with its running inside jokes. …
Denying help to families separated at the border
As I sat at my desk last Thursday morning — bouncing my eyes back and forth between my computer screen with my weekly breakfast zoom and my iPad projecting Morning Joe — I saw a headline that said the White House rejected a deal to offer mental health services to families separated at the border.
My iPad was muted so I couldn’t hear the commentary, and I was too embarrassed to turn up the volume since I should have been interacting with my friends. But that didn’t stop my initial internal outrage, after which I wondered why Trump and his administration would do yet another disservice to families who have gone through so much. …
