About one year ago, I started this blog as a way of sharing my perspective on racial and climate justice. In some ways, it is a self-indulgence for one more white man to project his voice into the world. At the same time, I believe it is important for us white people to advocate for…
On July 4th, we are fond of celebrating independence, freedom, liberty. This quality is the logical end-point of the United States' national mythology -- the story of the brilliant architects of our national revolution and Constitution, the story of the brave pioneers who set out on their own to subdue the wilderness, the story of…
It was such a surprise to hear. Truthfully, we hadn’t spoken in five or six years. Partly this was just the natural result of time and distance; it is also because I do not do well keeping in touch with those I do not see regularly. But to hear that you died suddenly yesterday --…
Across this country, an uprising has been ignited by the murder of George Floyd -- one in a long line of unarmed Black people killed by police officers. And yet the tinder for this fire comes from so many sources -- the legal, educational, health, and financial systems that marginalize Black people in this country…
Update 06/30/2020: I just finished watching the Netflix documentary Disclosure, and it was transformative. Seeing the full lives and perspectives of trans individuals had such an impact on me. I do not want to claim that I am totally different now than I was before I saw this film, but it really brought home what…
Carl Schwarz, my great-great-grandfather In 1848, eighteen-year-old Carl Schwarz set out from Pomerania, Germany. He and his family crossed the Atlantic, settling in Lebanon, Wisconsin. They purchased 40 acres of land and built the house that eventually 5 generations of Carl’s family would inhabit. He and his family spoke German at home and in their…
What are we afraid of? I want every white relative, friend, and acquaintance to really wrestle with that question. When we see Black people protesting, resisting the violence of white supremacy, what causes us fear? Are we really worried about our own physical safety? The safety of the things we own? Or are we worried…
Sometimes it feels to me as if the spirit of the world has darkened, and sometimes it feels as if I am just more aware of the darkness that was here all along. In the past week, three stories have intersected to reinforce my perception of this darkness. The United States of America has just…
Will the circle be unbroken By and by Lord, by and by There's a better home awaiting In the sky Lord, in the sky. Is there a better home awaiting us in the sky? Under our feet? In some alternate dimension we can’t comprehend? There has always been this debate -- is heaven a place…
The coronavirus has altered life dramatically for all of us in a short time. In Illinois, as in many other states, we are required to wear masks in public indoor spaces -- grocery shopping, purchasing from other stores, picking up food from a restaurant. Outside, we are asked to maintain 6 feet of distance from…
Entwining 