Perspectives From Africa: Looking At Home From A Distance
Travel is a wonderful way to gain perspective.
Travel is a wonderful way to gain perspective.
In the recent debate about Food Stamps — also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — Tennessee Rep. Stephen Fincher quoted the New T…
The notion it is OK for some people to live in luxurious wealth while others struggle in poverty is not acceptable from a biblical or a Christian perspective.
In a recent homily, Pope Francis acknowledged all people can do good and God’s blessing has a universal quality. He was commenting on a story in Mark’s Gospel …
The Arkansas Legislature did the right and good thing. They passed a federally funded extension of health care insurance for hard-working Arkansans in low-payi…
When an idea has lost its power, it is like a fatally injured bear caught in a trap: It roars loudly and makes its fi ercest, most absolute claims, even as it …
My friend John tells of a dry, arid time in his life. He felt like the verse from Psalm 63: “My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren a…
Jesus of Nazareth was known as a healer.
In my Dec. 16 column, I wrote about some troubling research with children documenting a human tendency toward bias. Infants who choose Cheerios over graham cra…
There was a fascinating story on CBS’s “60 Minutes” recently about research at the Yale University Infant Cognition Center. Using puppet shows, researchers at …
Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound…
It is almost time to vote.
One of the fascinating things about my job is that I have the privilege of being with people during some of their most challenging times. Occasionally I meet s…
“For I was sick and you took care of me …” “Lord, when was it that we saw you sick …?” “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these … you…
The recent tragedy at Penn State has important implications for all institutions, including churches.
Cathy Campbell helps children and adolescents when life seems to be crashing down on them. She’s a licensed counselor who works with foster and adopted childre…
Do you ever place yourself into a historical story and wonder what you would have done had you been there?
It was an evolving and controversial process for the early Church to accept non-Jews into their fellowship.
Shortly before he was assassinated, Oscar Romero, the Roman Catholic archbishop of El Salvador, said, “I do not believe in death without resurrection. If I am …
Here are some questions that evoke some strong and conflicting religious convictions.
Jesus summarized all of the law and the prophets with the commandment that we are to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Police are investigating a drive-by shooting reported on Braxton Drive on Friday night.
I love football. I’ll be watching the Super Bowl today. I’ll be wearing my Eli Manning jersey, cheering for the kid whose dad was my college quarterback. Watch…
Several recent letters to the editor have taken exception to the state of Arkansas for enforcing the First Amendment by withdrawing taxpayer funding for some r…
There is something wonderful about a baby.
Several of my columns have focused on the plight of the poor in the United States and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of fewer and fewer peo…
Let’s use this newspaper as an object lesson.
I have an interest in applying the values of Jesus to our social and political discourse. And I’m troubled by many Christians who advocate policies that seem c…
On Aug. 6, as presidential candidate Rick Perry kicked off his campaign for the White House, he held a large rally organized by some religious groups that are …
Williams Marks 98th Birthday
My friend Fred Burnham recently came to town to talk about his experience of Sept. 11, 2001. If the near tower of the World Trade Center had shifted its direct…
My grandfather is one of the reasons I’m a priest today. He gave me a form of unconditional love that helped make it possible for me to believe in a God of unc…
Christians interpret the scriptures through the lens of Jesus. We claim Jesus is the human face of God. When we look at Jesus, we get a glimpse into the nature…
If you are reading this, the world did not end Saturday as Family Radio preacher Harold Camping predicted.
Catholics and Protestants uniting!? In separate documents, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and a coalition of evangelical and mainline Protest…
With joy I will join a sold out Bud Walton Arena a month from tomorrow to welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Northwest Arkansas.
“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.” — Warren Buffett, 2006 The Sheriff of Nottingham i…
Iread a lot of letters about “illegals,” and what we should do with them. Here’s a story that may make the folks who write those letters feel a little safer.
When Christians celebrate Christmas this week, we will tell the story of a displaced family. They are homeless and pregnant. Their first child is born in a cav…
My son-in-law is a marine biologist. He hopes to travel next year to study what may be the only unfished coral reef in the world.
On a couple of occasions I’ve heard from readers who say something along the line of this post to the NWAOnline comments following my previous column: “Shame o…
I remember when Congress passed the 1964 Civil Rights bill. White reaction in my home state was apocalyptic with anger and fear. People were certain — our nati…
Several things in the news have caught my attention recently. I’d like to offer a few comments on them.
Who are the people promoting racist laws like what Arizona has just passed? Arizona now requires brown people to carry identification, or risk arrest. That’s w…
On Sept. 12, 2001, I decided that I would not allow the terrorists’ attacks of the previous day to change my life. I believe the best way to defeat terrorists …
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” John 16:12-13 a “…
I’ve got two friends dealing with life-threatening illnesses.
“You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns.” Deuteronomy 24:…
The wonderful children’s picture book “Where the Wild Things Are” is now a movie. I hope the film lives up to the enchanting quality of the 1964 Caldecott Meda…
Fear is the opposite of love. "There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). Fear is essentially a faithless reaction. The grip of fear…