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I have a couple of bones to pick about seemingly unrelated subjects, but I suspect they have connections stronger than one might think.  Let’s get started with the current flood of mathematical evaluations of the recent election, to which pundits confidently attach motives and trends. Analysis of voting statistics is a good and valuable thing. … Read more

A guest column on Country Parson is rare, so this is an exception. It is a short essay by my friend The Rev. David Hindman, UMC pastor and long time chaplain at William and Mary. Considering this question has been prompted in recent days as I have heard claims from faithful Christians that Mahatmas Gandhi… Read more

I hope we’ve all had enough of speculative reporting. I have.  It isn’t just cable news, it’s the major national dailies as well that have been obsessed with reporting on news that has not yet happened by speculating about what it might, possibly, probably will be, or not.  Reporting has been followed by op.ed. pundits… Read more

Throughout the world there are churches that have been in continuous use as places of worship where centuries of warfare and destruction could not overcome them.  They stand in contrast to lovely old parish church buildings left abandoned and decaying, or, if lucky, converted into museums, inns, or homes.  Many church buildings in America are… Read more

It’s been a little over a year since I lost a good deal of my eyesight and the learning curve is a long one. I remain grateful for peripheral vision good enough to allow me to “see” sidewalks and nearby objects.  I also have a variety of gadgets that read things out loud. It means… Read more

The Holiday Season is almost here. A century ago it began on Christmas Eve. Then it moved to Thanksgiving and now it begins even before Halloween.  Of course that’s not counting the early September Christmas displays at Home Depot. Much of the holiday madness is driven by advertising promising more than can possibly be delivered. … Read more