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Underneath the Water
He had repeatedly told me that it was important to him that I be there. He would be getting baptized for the second time in his life. His first was at 13 when he was at a jamboree – he confessed that he got caught up in the moment and took the plunge.
Now, a 36-year-old father of four, he believed it important to consciously, thoughtfully, and publicly — as an adult — recommit his life.
Acting upon the suggestions I received from some of you regarding my daughter, I found myself placed in a new spiritual proximity to vibes and tensions and thought-patterns any sane person should want to avoid.
Seeing a mass of armed, uniformed men called into a movement by a single, laconic demand, one inevitably began to grow curious about the individuals that made it up. The outstanding property you discover, is the readiness with which he can change personalities. For example, follow a couple of soldiers off duty down the street, any street in Germany. You admire their bronzed, smiling faces and the way they walk loosely and gracefully as athletes. They’re completely human beings.
I’d never heard of this beautiful woman until a story was posted about her recent death at the young age of 51 from cancer. I was so moved by the post, however, because it described someone who was so full of peace and light as she approached death, that all who kept a vigil with her were astonished. Their description of Marie was so moving and as I read, something unexpected happened to me.
When venturing to discuss the nature of G-d, the discussion can get very complicated. And when you add in the component of the dominance of secularism over religion in our times, the conclusions we draw may be all over the map. For that reason, I’ve chosen to discuss briefly many of the expectations that people have of G-d, but I believe there are a few key ones that have driven the secular Left to reject G-d and embrace nihilism. If we are going to have any chance of breaking the hold that secularism has on our society, we have to address not just religion, but the nature of our relationship with God. And we must deal with the deep disillusionment that many on the Left are experiencing, and encourage them to expand their understanding and awareness of G-d.
A text from my sister prompted this post. She lives in a small, rural mountain town in Maryland. It read as follows: “We had a luncheon after church for our lead singer/guitarist. He is moving to Williamsburg, VA. We are also taking a collection for a church in the Kentucky floods. A couple is going down to take the supplies and funds.”
A story crossed my email from Crisis Magazine worth reading. It presents the life of a lowly servant in the trenches – holding up a hand against evil, trying to protect an enormous flock of young, abused girls in Mexico. The powerful hand is attached to the body of a thin, older priest named Father Dan Leary. Here is an 
I saw the headlines on the Texas elementary school shooting flash on the TV screen, like most of you. My husband said, “I don’t want you to see this.” It didn’t work. I laid awake with my own mental pictures and tried to put the pieces of a distorted, senseless, fragmented, and tragic puzzle together. The pieces didn’t fit. I read the story this morning — an 18-year-old Hispanic boy who had a dark, online life and somehow acquired guns.
In the next couple of weeks, a very dear friend of mine and her husband who live here in Florida are moving to Indiana. (Yes, they know how cold the winters will be!) They are moving for what I think are sensible reasons—anticipating aging, health difficulties, and wanting to be with one of their sons and his family.
