I read an editorial in the New York Times today that astounded me. I guess I am a bit naïve when it comes to politics and some fundamentalist traditions. To read the entire provocative editorial please go to http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21kristof.html?ref=opinion.
I believe that some people are convinced, without any evidence, that Obama is a Muslim because he had a Muslim father who later became an atheist and left the family. My persons on the street when it comes to politics are some of the people I golf with. I have heard people say, “Obama is a Muslim.” When I tried to tell them that he was a very committed Christian, they dissed me, “Where did you find out that he was a Christian? On the internet?” Continue reading →

And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23)
While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you. (Luke 11: 37-41)
And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
We have had a roller coaster ride on Wall Street and K Street this week. As I listened to the reports, I kept thinking “Greed.” Then, I read a blog by Jim Wallis. He talked about greed being at the root of this problem. Continue reading →

[This is a talk that I gave after the Masses this weekend to introduce our Vote Out Poverty initiative.]
I am here to speak about an initiative we are undertaking as a faith community to reduce the ravages of poverty. Poverty is an issue in this community. At the end of August, Fred Sickle told me that our St. Vincent DePaul Society had already spent $11,000 to help the needy in our community. Poverty is a problem in Georgia, North Carolina, the United States and the world.
I want to begin with a story. In 1860, Patrick and Catherine left County Mayo, Ireland in the aftermath of the terrible tragedy known as the Great Hunger. They made their way to America on a coffin ship, so named because many, many people died en route to America. They settled in Pennsylvania. In 1880, Patrick, my great grandfather, died in a mining accident in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Continue reading →