In a column from last year titled “Who will bat against ‘Alibi’ Obama ” George Will wrote “Announcing his candidacy near the Statue of Liberty where Ronald Reagan began his 1980 post-convention campaign Huntsman promised ‘civility’ because ‘I don’t think you need to run down someone’s reputation’ when running for president. Actually ” you do.” I doubt George was advocating vicious personal attacks” but I do think he was saying we need to define “civil” as something other than “bland.” I only mention this because I have had two conversations recently with organizations in Washington D.C. ” that are both working to bring “civility” back into politics. Is that…

In the last year I have been wondering how so much great art literature business success music ” charity and church growth have been accomplished by such distorted -and oftentimes tortured – personalities.  If you read a few biographies” other than George Washington and a very few others ” you get a sense of how extraordinary talent is almost invariably carried by cracked souls and inflated egos.  One of my favorite quotes is from “Amadeus” wherein Salieri pronounces his judgment on Mozart and God at the same time: “I heard the music of true forgiveness filling the theater” conferring on all who sat there perfect absolution. God was singing through…

  My father grew up in poverty in Nashville ” Tennessee. My grandfather was a pastor” who also happened to be an Irishman named Bunyan. He was somewhat forced to move from church to church because he would tell the truth about the departed at funerals. However ” my grandmother was determined that my Dad would get out of their poor neighborhood and – while making something of himself – he would make something of her life as well. She could not go but she could send him to be successful. As many of you know” men who become successful often discover the allure of expensive cars. My Dad discovered…

  A recent column by David Brooks 'The Life Reports' included this line:

I grew up with two competing perspectives on worry.  The first was Mad magazine’s idiotic  Alfred E.

  A young friend (against my advice) took a leadership position in a ministry with a history of detached major donors infighting among the staff weak executive leadership a dated mission that is out of touch with the changing demographics of their market a retired founder who still has influence on Board decisions and a business model that depends almost 90% on a few supporters.  Given that this is an organization that charges tuition and fees that is not a good sign.  Come to think of it are there any good signs at all in this scenario?  With just that knowledge ” would you take the job? It depends on…

  You cannot have a good conversation in London without getting around to the issue of the role of government in modern society.  One night at dinner our distinguished guest was very direct about her dismay that a country calling itself a “Christian” country could allow anyone to be without a minimum of health care.  After all ” the role of government is to take care of all the people –not just those who can afford it.  There were a few in our group who disagreed!  It’s a basic division between those who are adamant about the limited role of government and those believing government needs the latitude to make…

While I knew the story of the rich young ruler long before I ever read those words in C.S. Lewis ” I've never heard it put better.  Many times” ” the best way to understand a person is to see them in contrast to another in similar circumstances.  I've done that with Bonhoeffer and Hitler.  The differences are stunning and studying them together only puts each of them in sharper relief.  This week I did that with the rich young ruler and Zaccheus.  While they had one thing in common – wealth – they could not have been more different.  The rich young ruler was more than comfortable approaching Jesus…