So forgiveness pre-requires understanding the mistakes of the past? here hear re this opposing this me-first, America-first, white-first, male-first approach>…
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
-
Lesson 1: Either… Or
Read MORE: Lesson 1: Either… OrA frequent response to the series on Fratelli Tutti was “How can you have dialogue in the present situation?” People appreciated the Pope’s calling for creative conversation but observed he did not have it in his own church. They felt…
-
Lesson 2: Us or Them
Read MORE: Lesson 2: Us or ThemAbout a dozen years ago, a friend who is a respected diplomat told me even though I might not agree with politicians on the other side of the aisle, I nevertheless should respect them for trying to work with us…
-
Lesson 3: Speaking the Message of Peace
Read MORE: Lesson 3: Speaking the Message of PeaceI am looking for a way to peace in our deeply divided society. Just about everyone recommends conversation and that is exactly what seems impossible in our present situation. That really came home last week as I was reading responses…
-
Lesson 4: Suffering
Read MORE: Lesson 4: SufferingI got diverted last week. The thesis in the back of my head has been that either-or discussions in a technological society call for new perspectives. Technology makes for so many new possibilities that our concept of reality changes. We…
-
Lesson 5: Love or Power
Read MORE: Lesson 5: Love or PowerI decided to start this series when I found myself growing extremely uneasy with Christians using militant language. I was increasingly hearing religious spokespeople speak of Jesus as a warrior fighting for us in a cosmic war between good and…
-
Lesson 6: Culture or Politics
Read MORE: Lesson 6: Culture or PoliticsAs I was trying to understand what happened to cause our deeply divided society, I came across a Politico interview with James Davison Hunter of the University of Virginia Advanced Studies in Culture. It was regarded as an update on…
-
Lesson 7: Where do we go from here?
Read MORE: Lesson 7: Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here? I thought I might have come up with some new proposal, program, or opening by now. Instead, I feel I am pretty much where I started. That is not to say I am frustrated;…
-
Lesson 8: Words or Guns
Read MORE: Lesson 8: Words or GunsEver since I suggested last week that the most important contribution Christians make to overcoming the deep divisions in our society is compassionate love, significant events seemed to affirm or challenge my assertion. The very next day an editorial was…
-
Lesson 9: Confession or Denial
Read MORE: Lesson 9: Confession or DenialI had hoped to come up with some insights that would help break the gridlock in the discussions about abortion, human sexuality, and racism. After struggling a couple of months, I found myself suggesting we should simply work harder in…
-
Lesson 10: Pro-Life or Pro-Choice
Read MORE: Lesson 10: Pro-Life or Pro-ChoiceA start to resolving the conflict would be an agreement to converse with one another using creative healing words and to do so as a family that is committed to working things out. The conversation would not be an abstract…
Recent Comments
An extremely timely topic. Thanks, Fritz!
yes we need to forgive our leaders yet make sure they do the right thing – which they aren’t.