Take HIM down? Saint Junípero Serra and the Persistent Question of Christ

~ Peggy Haslar ~ 8 Comments

You might be able to aquire a public education without hearing about the Christian foundations of orphanages, hospitals and universities, of the faith that underpinned western science and inspired the abolitionists to work for the end of slavery. You may never have heard about the Christian recognition of the image of God in people of … Continue reading Take HIM down? Saint Junípero Serra and the Persistent Question of Christ

Does Your Heart Break Now? Mourning George Floyd with Two Songs and a Conversation

~ Peggy Haslar ~ 2 Comments

Along with the rest of the country, I watched the recording of the death of George Floyd. I heard him gasp "I can't breathe." In the aftermath, as police clashed with protestors and pundits politicized, many of us, watching in helplessness, turned to prayer and mourning. For George Floyd and his family. For the tragic … Continue reading Does Your Heart Break Now? Mourning George Floyd with Two Songs and a Conversation

Scapegoats, Solitude and Solidarity: Thomas Merton as Quarantine Companion

~ Peggy Haslar ~ 7 Comments

"We must love them both, those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth and both have helped us in the finding of it." --St. Thomas Aquinas This gentle reminder came to me by way of Thomas Merton, whom I've been reading lately with … Continue reading Scapegoats, Solitude and Solidarity: Thomas Merton as Quarantine Companion

The Prisoner and the Pandemic: The Gift of the Right Read at the Right Time

~ Peggy Haslar

The pandemic's reality was slow to strike my relatively isolated, poverty-stricken mountain valley. For weeks we watched the worldwide spread of COVID-19 through phones, laptops and television screens, but our lives were going on as usual. In mid-March, everyone at my little school left for spring break and there still wasn't a case in our … Continue reading The Prisoner and the Pandemic: The Gift of the Right Read at the Right Time

From Nebraska to OHIO: This Indie Springsteen Tribute Charts a Heartfelt Map

~ Peggy Haslar

Sometimes it takes a true fan to open a songwriter's work for you, to reveal poetic treasures obscured by the well-worn hooks that propelled the musician to fame. Just about everybody liked The Boss back in the day, at least in the surfacey way that connects us with artists whose hits are part of the … Continue reading From Nebraska to OHIO: This Indie Springsteen Tribute Charts a Heartfelt Map

A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and a Great Film about the Great War

~ Peggy Haslar ~ 2 Comments

After watching a televised World War II movie with my father one evening (it may have been Patton or The Guns of Navarone) he turned down the volume during the film's closing credits. "People always give generals like Patton and MacArthur credit for winning World War II," he quietly commented from his recliner. "But that … Continue reading A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and a Great Film about the Great War

Prepare for this Political Year: Read Arthur Brooks’ Love Your Enemies

~ Peggy Haslar ~ 2 Comments

I don't know about you, but I've begun to dread election years. I used to love them. My parents watched the conventions of both major political parties and every presidential debate and they invited my brothers and me to join them in the living room to take it all in. Mom and Dad were clear … Continue reading Prepare for this Political Year: Read Arthur Brooks’ Love Your Enemies

Choose Something Like a Star: A Christmas Contemplation Inspired by Robert Frost

~ Peggy Haslar

Starry skies call those who long for silence: leave the party, the mall, the jingle bell rock, the smart phone, the laptop and the trivial TV. Step outside. Look up. Robert Frost's 1943 poem “Choose Something Like a Star" speaks to our position beneath the glittering skyscape. Alone beneath the stars the poet addresses "the … Continue reading Choose Something Like a Star: A Christmas Contemplation Inspired by Robert Frost

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself: How America’s Fascination with Mr. Rogers Can Help Heal our Culture’s Vitriolic Division

~ Peggy Haslar

A gangly pre-teen, I was "too old" for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood when the soft-spoken man in the red sweater and tennis shoes captured the hearts of American children, but still I watched him. Public television was a new thing back then and besides, there was only one TV in the house. Agitated and worn from … Continue reading Love Your Neighbor as Yourself: How America’s Fascination with Mr. Rogers Can Help Heal our Culture’s Vitriolic Division

Live the Questions this Advent with Sally Read’s Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World

~ Peggy Haslar

I don't want sentimental piety at Advent; I crave a seeker's authenticity and a contemplative's conviction. I welcome Sally Read's voice at any time of year, and Advent isn't the occasion that produced Annunciation: A Call to Faith in A Broken World. It's just that Annunciation is the best book of its kind I encountered … Continue reading Live the Questions this Advent with Sally Read’s Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World