We cannot afford the hubris of another ‘Deal of the Century’

At the height of World War I, British diplomat Mark Sykes stood with the prime minister, poring over a map of the Middle East. The two men had before them what they mistook as a simple task: to divide the former Ottoman Empire for the best interest of their own empire. Sykes pointed to the …

We cannot bear the cost of our war culture

  There is nothing new under the sun, especially when it comes to our tendency toward war. Reckless and belligerent as our president is, it would be wrong to think our bellicose nature was invented in 2016. Operation Desert Storm, under Bush 41, was, to his credit, a model of broad coalition-building and narrowly defined …

The arc of our politics — sound and fury, signifying nothing

Do you recall the great fight between Tiberius Gracchus and the Senate? The Revolt of the Ciompi? The Iberian Union? The Sepoy Rebellion? No? Not surprising. These events, while critical turning points in the world powers of the day of Rome, Florence, Spain, Portugal and Britain, are mostly forgotten to history. And, so too will …

Wonder or sadness over God’s creation: It’s our choice

It’s not often I experience simultaneously awestruck joy and numbing sadness. I experienced that Monday when I visited for the first time the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City. The Myriad’s Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory is a true wonder. This 13,000 square-foot conservatory showcases 750 plant varieties from across the globe, cascading waterfalls, a sky …

America needs to stop playing proxy-for-profit in Middle East

  Mark Twain once quipped, “God created war so that Americans would learn geography.” I don’t believe God created war — it is an evil and entirely human enterprise — but it does seem America is bound for a costly, and utterly stupid, geography lesson in a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. For any …

The symbolism of cowardice and courage

Theologian Paul Tillich once said humanity’s “ultimate concern must be expressed symbolically, because symbolic language alone is able to express the ultimate.” Symbols sometimes speak more eloquently, and with far greater impact, than words. While Tillich was speaking of our use of symbols to relate to God, his words hold true on any topic of …

Healing America’s multiple personality disorder

America recently passed the 400th anniversary of our nation’s two defining, and contradictory, character traits. It was in July and August 1619 the first democratic assembly convened in what would become the United States. And, it was this week in August 1619 the first shipment of slaves arrived on American shores. The first event was …

Has the American colossus fallen? That’s up to us.

What is in the meaning of a poem? That question has perhaps never had more import than it does now, as we struggle to grasp both the genesis and meaning of our nation’s identity. Emma Lazarus’ 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus” has been a topic of debate in the last week, after the president imposed …

To save ourselves, we must end the president’s war on science

Recently, on July 20, America celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Today, we carry phones with 7 million times the data storage of the Apollo computer. Yet, our society has woefully degraded in its respect for science since Neil Armstrong took that “one giant leap for mankind.” Consider the growing gulf …

A republic — if we can keep it

In the summer heat of 1787, delegates gathered in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention, to craft for America a new government. But, the outcome was by no means certain. Would we be governed by a new monarchy? By some form of oligarchy? Those were the most likely outcomes, as demonstrated by countless revolutions before and …