The Sower and the land
Of all the Parables of Jesus, one of the most important, interesting, and of course one of my favorites, is the Parable of the Sower. In my opinion, it should be foundational for thinking about …
Paul Hand
Second Serve
Yesterday afternoon Minneapolis announced a verdict that had millions of us holding our breath. It was followed by possibly the largest sigh of relief so far in a tense 2021. Among the relieved, there is …
The Business of Destabilizing
This essay is a hypothesis: If you are worried that Trump is trying to derail democracy, you are right, but not in the way you think. Why is he doing what he’s doing? He most …
To Those Who Knock
It was May of 2014. I was staying Memorial Day weekend at All Saints of America Orthodox Church in De Queen, AR. I woke up early Saturday morning to take a day trip. 30 miles …
How your own musical taste can be an oppressor or liberator
My favorite movie ever since I first saw it in high school is “O Brother Where Art Thou?” I bought the soundtrack and, as all millennials did in their teens, read every page of the …
Why I’m Not Tempted to Apostate
I hope this title is appreciated, and that the article is appreciated at least half as much as the title. I enjoy approaching serious subjects with a casual, Kermit the Frog tea sip before I …
Of Might and Memories
Never Forget. As I write this, an estimated 5.3 million posts have used the #memorialday tag on Instagram alone. As it always follows a Sunday, a quick “Memorial Day sermons” Google search yielded over 7.5 …
Two tactics for the disenfranchised voter
Another four years have passed and here we are once again, most of us dreading being forced to vote for the “lesser evil.” If you already know your choice and are happy about it, keep …
A Journey to Eastern Christianity
The following is a talk which my departed grandmother invited me to give for her Sunday School class at First United Methodist Shreveport and which, due to some confusion, was given in its entirety to …
From Confusion to Communion
“When the Most High came down and confused the tongues, He divided the nations. But when He distributed the tongues of fire He called all to unity. Therefore with one voice we glorify the All …