It occurs to me that 2020 has provided us with an unprecedented number of opportunities to apply the term, “unprecedented.” That may be an impressive achievement, but it isn’t particularly encouraging, since the term seems to be most often applied as a negative descriptor. In any case, in contemplating the events that have led us to where we are today, the word comes to mind a lot.
Absurdity Undetected ~
For instance, Continue reading
When ‘Follow the Leader’ Takes an Absurd Twist – Series, Part I
Posted in Faith and Politics, Faith, Family, and Culture, Insights, Right Side Up, Wake Up Calls, When "Follow the Leader" Takes an Absurd Twist
Tagged follow the leader, followers of Jesus, Gallagher's Pen, Right Side Up Thinking in an Upside Down World, Ron Gallagher, When "Follow the Leader" Takes an Absurd Twist
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On Stage at “The Improv”
When I first heard about someone buying tickets to go see something they referred to as “The Improv”, I had no idea what they were talking about. Turns out they were going to what was basically a comedy show. Apparently, the program involved a would-be comedian taking the stage and rambling on about people or circumstances, and sometimes reacting to the audience in ways intended to appear spontaneous and, of course, funny. I never heard whether Continue reading
The Failed “Gospel of Nice”
Remember when it seemed like all of a sudden everyone was concluding all kinds of personal exchanges with, “Have a nice day”? I never knew who first decided it was the thing to say–probably some motivational speaker trying to promote positivity. Regardless, it quickly became the most repeated admonition in the country. Sometimes cashiers and sales clerks would just blurt it out as you walked away, but then there were others who would Continue reading
Repeating the “Call for a Conversation”
At some point in the course of every news cycle these days, it seems as though someone is demanding that we “have a conversation” about one of the many problem issues plaguing our nation these days. As we watch the failure of so many of the resources we’ve trusted for most of our lives, we long for some course of action to be initiated that can actually lead to resolution and restoration of peace and harmony. Issuing a call to have a conversation doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence that Continue reading
Invincible, Unassailable Freedom
Independence Day 2020 is certainly different from any we’ve seen, and the challenge of addressing the subject of freedom is both more challenging and more necessary than ever. I had begun this piece in a pretty sarcastic mood initially. I thought of the calls to Continue reading
No Substitutes Allowed
For years, Mom used to bless me on special occasions with her signature version of an applesauce cake. She had monkeyed with the recipe a bit over the years, and her rendition was unique and really quite delicious. As Mom got older and life became a little more challenging, she began more frequently to replace things she might be out of with substitutes. If she ran out of Continue reading
