The Sacred Resistance of Routine

The Sacred Resistance of Routine

The whirring of the coffee machine draws me toward the kitchen and away from slumber. My furry companion rings his bell. I hear his request and open the door, releasing him into his domain. I close it behind him and reach for the tiny cup filled to the brim with the...
Remembering Beauty in Our Resisting

Remembering Beauty in Our Resisting

When I decided to follow Jesus, this didn’t change much. I internalized the idea that to be faithful was to be crucified, knowing resurrection was coming but not soon or in full. I had to be strong, wait on the Lord, and take up my cross. To be a Christian was to...
Lighten Up, Liberals: Play as Resistance

Lighten Up, Liberals: Play as Resistance

Early in Stripes, the 1981 comedy about Army misfits, a sergeant gathers a group of recruits for a time of getting to know each other. One recruit launches into a diatribe about how he wants to be named and treated: “The name’s Francis Soyer, but everybody calls...
As Laughter Rises, Tyranny Falls

As Laughter Rises, Tyranny Falls

English politician and writer Horace Walpole once wrote, “The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.” For all the thinkers out there, last week felt like a shot across the bow as a silencing blow ricocheted off late-night television,...