Continuing my Storyworth project, here’s how I answered, “What’s the first major news story you can remember living through as a child?” They say that for Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), JFK’s assassination and Watergate were the two defining moments. For Gen Xers (1965-1980), the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. For Millennials (1981-1996), 9/11. For later generations, it seems that major … Read More
Why Empathy Isn’t the Endgame, Part 2 of 2
Last week, I shared a story of how I discovered that some view empathy as a dirty word. There, I made the case for why empathy, rather than being toxic, is one of the foundational virtues of being a good human. But the story was also about how my friend and I, despite feeling like we were on two different … Read More
Why Empathy Isn’t Toxic, Part 1 of 2
I remember the first time I learned that some view empathy as a dirty word; it was also the first time I began to learn how its meaning can be distorted and misunderstood. It was 2020, that dumpster fire of a year, and I was extolling the importance of the virtue in a conversation with a friend. Surprisingly, he pushed … Read More
What is Equal Rights Institute (ERI)?
Having just transitioned from a vocational season that required a certain amount of peaceful coexistence with dust, some are asking, what is ERI? A simple way my predecessor likes to answer this question is to say… “We help prolife people be less weird.” 😊 I love this line as what he’s provocatively calling out is that, sadly, the prolife movement … Read More
Journalists and Professors Who Saved My Life
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9, KJV) Continuing my Storyworth project, here’s how I answered, “If you had to go back in time and start a brand new career, what would it be?” I believe in the sovereignty of God and that “in Him we live and move and have our being.” He definitely … Read More
First Job Lessons and Surprises
Continuing my Storyworth project, here’s how I answered, “What did you find surprising when you started your first job?” Prior to my first full-time job, I had many part-time jobs that probably began working for my dad, who was a self-employed land surveyor and, during lean seasons, a part-time carpenter/ handyman. One of my earliest memories of “helping” him in this latter … Read More
Against False Political Binaries
I know posting political rants gets some out of bed in the morning, but I’m not sure most are helpful. On the one hand, I get it. The statement routinely attributed to Edmund Burke, “the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing,” warns against passivity. We reason that we need to use our voice … Read More
60 Songs that Saved My Life
Hey Friends, Whether I’m ready or not, and whether I want to or not, I turn 60 on Monday! Pam is celebrating with me that day by taking a trip to Ithaca, NY, to see Cornell University and the surrounding area. Although many of you don’t have Spotify, I wanted to share a playlist called “Greg Austen-Sixty Songs that Saved … Read More
What I Learned from Marilynne Robinson
Hi All, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and have many fun things to look forward to over the next month. One of my favorite traditions is spending a day in Princeton between Christmas and New Year’s with my boys. One of our annual stops is Labyrinth Books on Nassau Street. Almost two years ago, while browsing about, I … Read More
Hell Revisited
In 2019, I wrote a post titled “Understanding Jesus’ Teaching on Hell.” In it, I admitted that “I’ve wrestled for years with the Bible’s teaching on hell and its implications,” and this is certainly still true. At that time, I also shared some quotes that had helped me the most, and now—six years later—I’d like to do the same. The last … Read More