Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31 It has been nearly ten years since I resigned my position in industry as the CEO…

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson asserted that the pursuit of happiness was a self-evident truth and an inalienable right. The concept is everywhere, from advertisements to “happily ever after.” A search for “happy” on Amazon Books produces over 70,000 results and at least as many definitions of that word. We live in a…

It seems that highbrow fine art is in popular demand. The spring auction scene in New York shattered records, doubling last year’s total. (A canvas by Jackson Pollock fetched more than 181 million dollars.) Once-niche contemporary art spaces now charge hefty admission prices, and even fusty traditional spaces now attract tourist hordes. On my recent…

It was a simple question, but it landed with the force of grief. A coworker told me that both his parents had recently died. His family is Christian. They believe in Jesus, in resurrection, in eternal life. And yet, in a hushed voice, he asked what many brokenhearted believers quietly wonder: Do you think they’ll…

“This kind can come out only through prayer,” or, in some manuscript traditions reflected in translations such as the King James Version, “through prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). These were Jesus’ words to the disciples after they failed to exorcise a demon from a suffering boy. The boy’s father pleaded with Jesus to heal his…

I have increasingly had an uncomfortable realization. It’s not necessarily one I thought I would ever even remotely embrace. Having grown up an avid reader of historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, detective fiction, comic books, adventure stories, and more, I have, like yesterday, always strongly defended the importance of creating fictional literary worlds and immersing…

I will always be grateful to my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Burick, for two things. One of these things I appreciated at that time. The other I did not. What I appreciated at that time was that Mrs. Burick was allergic to gerbils (she probably did not appreciate this fact quite as much). After bringing a…

Today’s post explores our list-making tendencies—and the deeper drive for accomplishment and control that often fuels them. As our entry point, I’ll turn to one of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad stories: “A List.” It’s a gentle invitation to consider whether there might be better ways to spend our days and pursue our purpose. You…

The bird would cease and be as other birds But that he knows in singing not to sing. The question that he frames in all but words Is what to make of a diminished thing. --Robert Frost, “The Oven Bird” Aging and diminishment are not synonymous. There are hundreds of books and essays about aging,…

One of our goals in this essay was to synthesise three related books on trauma, from three distinct sources—pastoral theology, the social scientific (and secular) study of sports, and biographical material. We hope to have provided a starting point for others to research the sports-­theology-­trauma relationship and to think about how to support athletes holistically…