Don’t Sell the Harlot Short
“I’m not a traitor. I just want to live.” I wrote those words about two years ago. Around this time each year, in synagogue, we read from Joshua chapter 2, the story of Rahab the harlot. It inspired a short-short story, “The Confidant of Jericho,” which concluded with the line above. The story of Rahab […]
Redefining Marriage?
My father over at his blog posted a two-part series on gay marriage. It started as an initial post called “Redefining Marriage,” which proved controversial enough among his theological colleagues that he felt a need to post part 2 to clarify. What follows is in reply to part 1. Same-sex marriage is now a fact […]
How I Ended Up in a Messianic Jewish Synagogue
On Friday, I usually post an attempt at humor. (Some times more effective than others.) Today, however, I thought I’d tell the story of how a Gentile pastor’s kid from western Pennsylvania ended up identifying with a Messianic Jewish synagogue. Firstly, I’m not Jewish. When I was a boy, my father, a pastor, passed on […]
Stranger in a Strange Land
This past week, the Little One and I watched “First Contact,” the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. Not the Star Trek movie by the same name, but the series episode, which originally aired exactly 21 years ago this past Saturday. Also this past Saturday, we read as part of our Torah Parsha: “Do not […]
On the First Day of Hanukkah…
In our house, we light the traditional Hanukkah candles, as we did last night, lighting the first candle and singing the blessings of the first night of Hanukkah. And we give gifts for the kids each night; not expensive presents like they’re likely to get from their grandparents on Christmas, but small, fun gifts to […]
What a Disappointment: Crony Capitalism and the Religious Right
As you may recall, I’m a friend neither of crony capitalism nor of the religious right. I hate crony capitalism, because it corrupts honest people just trying to run honest businesses and do an honest day’s work. That’s one of the reasons, I think, why everyone loves the “free market” but despises “capitalism.” And when […]
I Can Do All Things… (on Philippians 4:13)
Apparently this week’s most favorite misunderstood bible quote, I’ve run into it multiple times recently, from multiple sources: I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV) What an empowering thought. Isn’t it great that we can accomplish anything we set our minds to, through God’s strength? Bzzt. Wrong! What Paul […]
My Birthday Books
When I opened my birthday present, aside from the gift itself, out fell two twenties and a ten. And the first thing I thought was, Now I can buy more groceries. As you know, sometimes the life of a writer sucks. But I do have a summer software contract lined up, which should fund this […]
What My Doctor Was Afraid Of
You may recall last year an off-the-wall post scratched out at Dunkin Donuts that a wrote on the way to an MRI lab. I had been suffering from depression and headaches, sometimes so serious that I couldn’t think straight. Rarely, in these cases, the symptoms indicate a brain tumor or some other neurological problem. So […]
Easy to Be a Good Customer
When I first met Jeffrey Tanner, fictional costar of my short story “The Widow’s Granddaughter,” he told me, “Nice guys finish last.” I didn’t believe him then, and I still think he was seriously misguided. Fortunately, that character discovered that there is much more to life than alpha-male-ism. What an appropriate memory for the days […]