I know…. here we go again, taking the bait from Mr. Limbaugh and ensuring that his nonsense (and thus his brand) stays highly visible. That formula has worked well for him in the past and will continue to work for him in the future. So why do I do it anyway? Because: Rush Limbaugh is one of the world’s most […]

“You can’t make me do nothing but die!” ― Richard Wright, Native Son Perhaps I have no right to say what I’m thinking tonight — there’s no room for so-called “objectivity” in the midst of this tsunami of emotions — but I will say it anyway. Racism in all its power to distort justice has once again won a victory. […]

“Our need for love is infinite, and what community can afford us is finite. We make an idol of community if we cling to human beings and hope in them to meet every need. Even in community, in fact sometimes especially in community, we must learn not to turn from our sufferings, but to name them the best we can […]

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That is, don’t put people in prison without a trial or even specific accusations of wrong-doing. “Walking while Muslim” or “Walking while a bearded male in Iraq / Afghanistan” is not a good reason to put someone into solitary confinement for (in many cases) over a decade. What if […]

Jim Palosaari, who with his first wife Sue founded Jesus People Milwaukee, passed away May 25 of an apparent heart attack. For a brief but fairly thorough account of Jim’s life and influence, see Wikipedia. As news of Jim’s passing spread via face book, those of us who knew him or who have been influenced by his vision remembered him […]

Approximately thirty Uptown Community activists and citizens, spearheaded by Organization of the Northeast (ONE), gathered last night at the Unitarian/Universalist People’s Church in Uptown to grieve and pray together over the death of Tim Pittman, 19, a man shot and killed within half a block of the Church’s front doors. (See the Chicago Journal’s coverage of the shooting.) I was […]

Ever hear the word “dialectical”? No, this isn’t a discussion of Marx, Engels, Feurebach, or even Hegel. Yikes, this is a blog, not a philosophy seminar. But in community, I over and over have realized how important a “dialectical” approach in conversation can be. Dialectical, by the way, can mean merely that we try to come to an understanding of […]