Poetry has the power to move us in a special way. There is so much wonderful poetry to choose from. Here are a few excerpts I like: Lewis Carroll’s The Walrus and The Carpenter has a wonderful stanza I repeat in my mind when it’s time to make a decision to take action: "The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things: Of shoes – and ships – and sealing wax- Of cabbages – and kings –…
Alfred Tennyson poem Ulysses has lines which so accurately recount the viewpoint of a life observed from the perspective of old age. The poem talks about the fact that we are indebted to so many people for contributions made both directly and indirectly. It also describes one’s view looking back over life in it’s last stanza. I especially like the image of striving on in spite of the ravages of time: "Made weak by time and fate, but strong in…
Has our State’s highest court condoned political lies or did it merely up hold constitutional free speech? The Washington State Supreme court in a 5 to 4 decision has recently made the national news by it’s ruling that political lies told about an opponent in a political campaign are protected speech. Even though the lies were deliberate, malicious and false, the court held the lies were speech protected by the First Amendment. It overturned a law which gave the Public…
Elizabeth (Betty) Barnett was my wife, Lita’s, mother. She was born in 1910 and died December 20, 1985. She was a very remarkable woman in so many respects and a person for whom I had a great deal of love and admiration. She and her husband Hollis operated the Gateway Inn at the entrance to Mount Rainier for many years. This is a poem she wrote: "The snow floats gently on my roof tonight from mountain clouds of high; while…
In William Barclay’s book Day by Day, he talks about a time when he was considering retiring as pastor for a church. He writes that he was torn in mind as to whether to stay at his parish or leave to teach. He talked about his indecision to a member of his congregation he admired about it and the man said: "It’s a wise man that kens when tae lay doon the barra" which roughly translated means "It’s a wise…
Fr. Peter Phan is a prominent Vietnamese-American theologian. He is currently a professor at Georgetown University. In 2001 he was the president of the Catholic Theological Society of American. He has written over 300 essays and twenty books. He is the most respected Asian American theologian in the U.S. but his 2004 book, Being Religious Interreligiously, has caused a Vatican investigation of his writings. As explained in the September 28th issue of the National Catholic Reporter, Phan believes that while…
The Seattle Times (9/30) reports that U.S. Coach Greg Ryan dropped goal keeper Hope Solo, former Washington Husky standout from Richland, from the team for today’s Women World Cup third place match against Norway. On the previous Thursday, the coach had decided to have Briana Scurry play instead of Solor during the semi final match against Brazil. After Brazil defeated the U.S. team 4-0 & Scurry failed to block key goals Solor was quoted as saying about the coach playing…
As you saw the news about the Buddhist monks protesting and being killed by government forces in Myanmar did you wonder where the country is located and what it was all about? Well, I’m willing to admit I sure did. I admit I really wasn’t aware of a country called Myanmar and had little idea why religious monks should be shot to death for peaceful protest so I took the time to check it out and thought I’d share it…
Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light is a recent book about the late Mother Teresa of India. The media has been discussing the disclosure that in her private writings she describes her religious experience as "dry" "empty" "dark" and "devoid of all feeling." It appears that the founder of the Missionaries of Charity struggled for almost half a century with a desolate prayer life, but continued to serve God anyway. She experienced problems accepting God’s existence and presence in her…
Another passage I enjoyed reading in Mark Frost’s The greatest game ever played was about the great Walter Hagen. A golfer from Rochester, NY, Hagen was one of the golf greats. He collected eleven professional major titles, a record that stood until Jack Nicklaus and then Tiger Woods. In 1920 Hagen was playing in England when he ran into the country’s long held prohibition of allowing professional golfer’s in private clubhouses. When Walter went in one to change his shoes…
