Being a radical has never presented much of a challenge for me. Even as a little kid, I asked hard questions. Took no prisoners. Questioned authority. A radical stance always came natural. Very young, I developed an addiction to anger. I raged for every righteous cause. I still do. Fury and righteous indignation are so easy. Just …
When I was in seminary, community was the thing. We were taught how to use models of group discernment to help us make important life decisions. We had a student government, run on Quaker principles, that was supposed to help us work together as a community. We had shared worship that was meant to draw us …
I’ve never been very good at poker. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a particularly strong poker face. I’m pretty easy to read. But that’s not my main problem. My lack of success in poker has more to do with strategy than it does with appearances. To play poker well, you have to have a firm …
As a Quaker, I’ve often been told that I’m supposed to be in the world, but not of it. I always thought I knew what that meant. But lately I’m not so sure. My life has been getting a lot more worldly lately. There’s a career that demands attention, a house that requires maintenance, and a …
One of my earliest memories is being chased by dogs. I must have been five or six years old, and I was terrified. I remember fleeing with terror down the street, gasping with fear as I closed my family’s fence gate behind me, the feisty dogs nipping at my heels. If I could travel back …
I’m pretty good at fooling myself. I don’t want to grow or change in ways that hurt. More often than I’d care to admit, I prefer a happy lie to the sorrowful truth. And that’s understandable. Reality can be tough to deal with. Sometimes, I look around me and all I see is darkness. I see …
I like to think I know what’s going on. I enjoy pretending that I’m in charge. But the fact is, I’m a fool. I have no idea what’s coming next. No matter how I strategize and plan things out, the future remains a mystery to me. I don’t really know what’s going on from moment …