April 13, 2015

Homecoming

Men, women come home.
Filled with pain, regret, and hope.
Pretending forget.
But better and wise,
for their time in disguises.
Volunteered defense.
At the behest
of a nation torn apart.
They too, torn apart.
Reflections on watching the conclusion of The Pacific, and our own long decade and a half of war.

April 10, 2015

La Crosse

La Crosse Wisconsin,
sits between river and bluffs.
People have gathered

for five hundred years;
playing games, and war, and peace.
French pale skins arrived.

Noted game with sticks
that resembled a bishops
crozier or la crosse.

March 22, 2015

Thoughts on Integrating Faith, Politics, and Public Policy

There are two things one does not talk about in polite company, religion and politics.  I happen to have a passion for both, and to various degrees, my professional life has moved in both circles.  Integrating these passions well then, is something I care about, and that leads to the question of how that should be done.

My goal here is not to set out a treatise for all people at all times.  Rather, I just want to share some thoughts based on my journey.

On the one hand, I do not think there should be a separation of church and state that extends to one’s own soul.  Nor do I see the state as the primary vehicle for extending Christ’s reign on earth. How then should a Christian live an integrated life when it comes to religion and politics?  And if I don’t see the state as the primary vehicle for extending Christ’s reign on earth, why care about it all?  I think the prophet Jeremiah gave a beautiful answer to this question, when he addressed the Jews who had been carried away into exile. He said, “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”