Christmas Letters. . . Precursor to the Selfie. . .
We all do it. . . and we’ve been doing it for a long, long time. While we might not recognize it, it’s the same thing we gripe about when we find ourselves shaking our heads at the selfies our…
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When A Child Comes Out. . . And Dies. . .
For many years, I subscribed to Entertainment Weekly magazine. It was part of my regular culture-watching routine in those pre-Internet-glut-of-information years. Twenty years ago, in December of 1994, the magazine published their annual “Faces of AIDS” tribute to those in the…
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Perspective. . . From Buddy the Elf. . . .
No, it didn’t take long for the film Elf to become a holiday classic. I’ve come to love it. There’s something about seeing innocence and truth clash with the harsh realities of a broken world that reminds us of what’s…
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A Powerful Reflection on Weight. . . .
A young friend sent me a link to this video today. Powerful. It will go viral. Enough said. Give it a look. And then share it with those you know who struggle with body image issues and disordered eating. .…
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Common Sense and the Culture of Sexual Assault. . . Things to Talk About With the Kids. . .
Columnist Nicholas Kristof asks some provocative questions and makes some very good points in his recent editorial, “Bill Cosby, UVA, and Rape.” Kristof reminds us that we shouldn’t be surprised when we see the news saturated with stories about Bill…
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Thanksgiving Smile. . .
While out on my walk this morning I had this powerful song pop up on my Milk radio app. I’ve created and listen to a “Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir” station on the app. This is from the Georgia Mass Choir. It…
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Thinking About Ferguson. . . .
My intent is not to make anyone angry. Rather, I simply want to invite you into my head as I attempt to make some sense out of my very limited and very incomplete knowledge of what’s been happening in Ferguson,…
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How One Youth Worker Is Processing Kim Kardashian With Parents. . . .
I love this. . . absolutely love this. I love it because it’s what we hope to see happen after we do what we do here at CPYU. I love this because it shows that youth workers are thinking, processing,…
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Nothing But Parts: Kim Kardashian and the Destruction Of Our Selves. . .
Truth be told, I spent a good portion of last week getting sad, concerned, and even angry. That’s what happens when you see things. What I saw last week was Kim Kardashian’s presentation of her self.. . more specifically, her…
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Music, Kids, and Sexuality. . .Thoughts Prompted by “The Voice”
Today, I’m grieving the continued loss of sexual joy and sanity in our culture. Not surprisingly, the understandings that are prompting my grief will most likely be seen by most in today’s world as silly, hopelessly old-fashioned, and largely unfamiliar in…
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Curating Ourselves to Death. . .
We live in a world that’s set the table. . . quite well. . . to make ourselves over (and over and over) into who we want or think we need to be. Like museum curators who create exhibits for…
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A Post-Reformation Day Prayer. . .
Over the course of the second half of last week, we found ourselves wholly focused on the physical battle our 14-month-old grandson Nolan was fighting. Little Nolan wound up in the pediatric ICU of Georgetown University Hospital in D.C., where he…
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