As a lover of argumentation and debate little gets me more excited than a rousing contest between two sides. The problem with loving to argue is that when a debate gets too one-sided it leaves the viewer feeling cheated, that there was so much left unsaid that it crippled the position of the losing side and made the debate stale and unfulfilling. Maybe I love … Continue reading Is faith integral to learning?

You’ve discovered it this morning as you plunked your toothbrush into your – shower caddy or – cup by the sink or – the cardboard box that functions as your toiletry bin along with a meeting grounds for crusty lotion bits and fantastic hair clumps. You’ve discovered that blue section of your favorite Oral-B has faded to white, God’s way of letting you know it … Continue reading Alternative uses for a toothbrush

Political “dialogue,” such as it is, lacks in this country. I’ve asked myself on numerous occasions why this is so. I’ve decided that a key part of the answer to this question is the art of listening.  Most people seem to be incapable of this art.  Oh sure, they sit there and nod their head, but in their mind they are already thinking of what … Continue reading The art of listening and persuasion

Peter Weeks wrote a short commentary for last week’s issue entitled “Faith is not a virtue,” and it struck a chord in me that makes me want to respond to it in a hopefully constructive but contradictory way. His thesis that “Faith … is not a virtue and is subversive to the process of education” is simply not acceptable to me; I reject it not … Continue reading A case for faith: A response to Peter Weeks

Rolling around St. Peter, distinctly visible are a plethora of houses that once stood swelling with college vitality but will soon rest uninhabited and dreary. This vibe of vacancy is directly related to the controversial off-campus housing situation. With the school making a stand on keeping all of their on-campus beds full, they are consequently keeping their hands deep in our pockets. But what good … Continue reading Off-campus follies

I volunteer once a week (or try to anyway) at the Neighborhood Thrift Store, run by People And Christ Together (PACT) Ministries in Mankato. There are quite a few regulars who are working every week, but it seems like every Saturday there is a new face when I arrive. When meeting a new person who is working at the store, the obvious first question is … Continue reading Take a break from the hill

The theme of this year’s Mayday! conference is “Imagining Peace.” Each successive Mayday conference is about peace-related issues in some way. But what does the word “peace” really mean? Peace is such a loaded word, so laced with connotation that it may seem to be devoid of any meaning, especially in the eyes of the public at large. This makes the issues confronted by the … Continue reading Pondering peace

I was on the drive north to our family cabin, sitting in the backseat with my dog as my father and older brother talked logistics of assembling wood duck boxes up in the front, and I kept thinking I didn’t really know them. Who are these people and why have I entrusted my life—or at least this afternoon by the Kettle River—to them? I resisted … Continue reading What are you going to do about yourself?

Finally, the snow is gone, Spring Break is behind us, and the shorts have been put in the drawer where the ugly sweaters once were. If you’ve been anxious for spring like I have, the end of March is one of your favorite times in the year. Not because the trees have leaves and you can get a great tan, but because green is beginning … Continue reading Making the most of things

Each April, in a show of solidarity for their Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) friends and family members, tens of thousands of students across the country refrain from speaking for either part of or the entire day. The Day of Silence is meant to protest the bullying and harassment directed towards many queer-identified individuals and their supporters (or allies) specifically in schools, but also … Continue reading Keep it quiet: Day of Silence