Is Faith Childish?

At a recent visit to the house of my son and daughter-in-law near Chicago, my 3-year-old grandson pointed to the bald spot on the back of my head and asked, ...

The Transient Power of a Tear

A public-service TV “commercial” back in the 1970s shows an obviously Native American canoeing a river. Smokestacks shoot particles into the air, forming smog. Garbage floats by. A close-up shows ...

“Mystery:” A Subterfuge for the Unbelievable?

Growing up Catholic, I heard a lot about “mystery.” No, not the novel or movie that may be a “mystery,” but beliefs that are mysteries. I never particularly liked the ...

Embracing the New and the Old

After the newspaper I worked for went from being a family-operated business to belonging to a corporate giant, the new company sent in a series of corporate employee relations people ...

Will the Violent Inherit the Earth?

One of the blockbuster movies of the summer was “War for the Planet of the Apes,” among dozens of violent movies that appear with alarming regularity at multiplexes around the ...

Not Always Knowing Where You’re Going

At my age, it’s hard to remember being a parent of young children. A recent visit by my son, his spouse and two children, 11/2 and 31/2, was a reminder. ...