Twitch. It’s not uncommon for our family to feel the earth move under our feet. Yet we don’t live in California. Our home is in Maryland. The tremors emanate from our pedal-to-the-medal son Stephen. He’s a college sophomore and when Stephen is home on the weekends, we’re entertained at dinnertime by an inaudible rhythm driving…

Acquire and delight. Last week I introduced us to the trivialization of tragedy. We contribute to this calamity when we see maturity as being "poor in spirit" and a race to the bottom. The biblical picture of good fortune and blessedness is satiated sheep. "He makes me lie down in green pastures." When do sheep…

We are going to see a revival in this country; and it’s going to be led by rich people. –Michael Novak Trivial topics. Years ago, on a flight back from Chicago I was seated next a voluptuous young woman. She was excited, having appeared the day before on one of those Oprah-type shows titled “They’re…

Naturally concerned. This past week, Loudoun County High School (Maryland) brought in comedian Keith Deltano to plug sexual abstinence at a school assembly. The ACLU urged school officials to ensure that Deltano didn’t cross church-state lines since he happens to be a Christian. Virginia ACLU director Kent Willis was “naturally concerned that the religious views…

Let’s play word association. When you hear the word heaven, what do you imagine? And when you hear secular, what comes to mind? For most people, when they hear heaven, they think of clouds, far away places, harps, and singing. The word secular makes people think of the Internet, TV, movies and – get this…

All the marbles. Before Madden 2007 and PlayStation3, children enjoyed playing marbles. In most neighborhoods, it wasn’t very sophisticated. There were only two types of games – funsies and keepsies. “Funsies” is where – at the end of the day – everyone picks up their marbles and goes home. “Keepsies” is winner take all. You…

So sorry. “If my remarks offended anyone, I sincerely apologize.” Heard that one lately? The pope is the latest in a lengthening line of public officials who have crafted a novel form of apology that feels like no apology at all. For example, Senator George Allen is apologizing profusely for using the word “macaca” to…

Would a hunter’s maxim clear up some of the contentiousness surrounding abortion?

Unpaid, unorganized amateurs. It receives millions of hits everyday from around the world. It’s viewed by many to be at least as authoritative as Encyclopedia Britannica – if not more reliable. The compilation process demonstrates the remarkable ability of a community to be self-correcting. And it has challenged the experts who found it inconceivable that…

Falling leaves & towers. When you first saw the terrorist attacks of 9/11, what was your candid response?  Most of us can recall exactly where we were and what we were doing.  But what did you feel?  If we polled a hundred people, we’d hear the same three or four responses – horror, shock, disbelief,…