Today I contemplated death. I found that death is in many ways foreign to me. I have had the good fortune of health throughout my life. I have yet to lose a close family member, though I know many others who have not had such blessing. Of course, grief often accompanies these events no matter…
Deliberating Liberty
Since I was a child, I have long heard of the all-encompassing Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. My first thought is always that this is an imprecise translation of the great command of Christ, to love thy neighbor as thyself. The difference the word “love” makes in…
Guns and Consistency
Following the recent tragedy in Oregon, I cannot help but agree with President Obama’s assessment: prayers and sentiment are no longer enough in the wake of such wanton violence, not when the decision to take action is available. For too long, Americans have had to live under the fear of random and unexpected scenarios of…
Three Empty Words
The following thoughts are not a commentary on politics, but rather a politics on commentary. In the course of reading thoughts and debates amongst my peers on current political issues, I do not claim to have all the right answers, but I can tell when someone really has no answer. When it comes to claiming…
Of Pipes and Strings
The guitarist hurried to his usual spot in the city park, a vintage amp hanging from one hand and a beaten Fender slung across his back. The light breeze barely managed to whisk back his thick blonde hair, stretching down to just above his shoulders as he approached the spot. The worn Converse sneakers padded…
An Old Tale for a Young Heart
This story revolves around a little village in times past that rested peacefully on the side of a great mountain. Normally, the town would be of little note, and no scholar, no matter how studious, would find its name amongst all the annals of history. Yet it is the stories forgotten by history and remembered…
On Crossing the Street
Ever since I was a little boy, my parents trained me quite vigorously to look both ways before crossing the street. I agree that when we become men and women, we must put childish ways behind us, but to this childish practice I have clung most tightly. When I became old enough to drive, I…
Fade
Oh Love in youth so bold and real, No stab as deep as She I feel. The heart tis’ a cruel and desperate thing Against my will to one shall cling. To what ends of earth would’st I yet fly For a moment to catch your fleeting eye And what nightmares and demons I would…
A Metaphor of Monkeys
Often I have heard a metaphorical story employed to show the silliness in continuing with long supposed dead traditions and customs. It involves monkeys (always so nearly an equivalent for humans), and goes something like the following. Several scientists, studying the behavior of a certain species of prime-ape, place three monkeys in a metal cage,…
Psalm
O Lord, my God! How great are thy deliverances! You lead me to water, and my thirst is relieved, My body is nourished, and life abounds. But my flesh desires the honey of this world- The nectar taken in the night as a thief. Its sweet tastes lead me to gluttony, and I revel in…
The Pursuit of Thought 