Teachers are comfortable demonstrating almost anything. Piano teachers play scales for students. Personal trainers show how to do push-ups correctly. Math teachers work sample problems. Teachers often explain the theory underlying what they are teaching. How a major scale differs from a minor scale. How muscle groups are strengthened by repeated use. How theorems underlie geometric proofs. Teachers point […]

(First published October 8, 2012) It happens every Monday morning. Every Monday is a restart of our pilgrimage. Every Monday we say, “I want this week to be different. I want to be more committed, more caring, more thoughtful, more loving, more focused, more significant, more successful.” And then we open our eyes. And shuffle […]

(First published January 31, 2012, part of a series on the Creed) It was a gift, actually. Death is an expiration date for brutality. Once Adam and Eve knew they could defy God, it would do no good for them to live forever in bodies. Breaking the tab on the back that said “trained service […]

In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath talk about two approaches to decision-making. One kind looks at consequences and asks, “What will yield the best for me?” It can be the most good, or the least punishment, but the point is always self-focused. The other kind looks at identity. According to the Heaths, we […]

(a repost from April 27, 2012) Dear Jon: Something just hit me and I hope I don’t get struck down for saying this: I used to pray, something I used to do quietly on my own since I was a kid. But a year ago or so, I began questioning the purpose: If God has […]