by David Anderson
On March 7, 1965, 600 civil rights marchers left Selma, Alabama for Montgomery. Governor George Wallace called the march a threat to public safety and vowed to do all in is power to prevent this rabble from marching all the way to his office in Montgomery. When the 600 came to the Edmund Pettis Bridge, […]
by David Anderson 3 Comments Filed Under: Change, Community, Faith in Action, Fear, Forgiveness, Justice/Peace, Repentance
I lit a fire in the hearth this morning and turned on the lights of the bare Christmas tree. It was six a.m., cold outside with a grey morning light. Nine days before Christmas Eve. Twenty little children have been killed in their classrooms, festooned with holiday decorations and happily cluttered with Christmas crafts. I […]
by David Anderson 4 Comments Filed Under: Change, Community, Faith in Action, Forgiveness, Grace, Healing, Mercy, Repentance
After church on Sunday I went to visit a family whose home had been flooded in the hurricane. When I pulled up to the house it looked fine, frankly. Everywhere there was evidence that water had been here and gone. The street had a slick mud coating and the grass in the lawn was matted […]
by David Anderson 2 Comments Filed Under: Community, Faith/Trust, Grace, Love
The child had been wounded in a rocket attack in Syria. She lay, arms and legs splayed, on a hospital gurney too big for her. An oxygen mask cupped her nose and mouth. Tubes and lines grew like dark tendrils from her arms. I turn the newspaper page. Next article. I’m looking for stories […]
by David Anderson 2 Comments Filed Under: Community, Family, Love
Everybody knows the Elevator Rules. Rule #1 Stand facing the door. Rule #2 Space yourself evenly in the elevator car. Rule #3 Stand still. Rule #4 Don’t talk to strangers. Rule #5 Keep your eyes on the floor indicator lights. There’s some wisdom in elevator etiquette, how to conduct yourself when you’re locked into a […]
by David Anderson 4 Comments Filed Under: Community, Intimacy, Seeing
When I walked into the grocery store, he was standing by the door. I’d never seen him before, but he was wearing a uniform and I knew he was an employee. I said an average hello, and he responded with a hello so happy it startled me. Then he handed me a shopping basket. I […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Community, Happiness, Intimacy, Love
After the mass killing in Aurora last week, I got on my high horse. I was sure we needed tougher gun laws. When people threw up their hands and said, “Who in the world needs assault rifles!” I agreed. When people expressed outrage that someone could buy 6,000 rounds of ammo online, I said, “Duh!” […]
by David Anderson 3 Comments Filed Under: Community, Faith in Action, Family, Healing
My church, the Episcopal Church, just concluded its national convention. Critics of liberal religion were quick to condemn the gathering for accommodating the timeless truth of the gospel to the whims of today’s culture. Ross Douthat of the New York Times had a suggestion for us. “The leaders of the Episcopal Church and similar bodies […]
by David Anderson 5 Comments Filed Under: Belief, Community, Faith in Action, Justice/Peace, Seeing, Service, Vocation/ Calling