One Fine Day
Dear Bella Levenshteyn Would you take a ride with me On 55-South? You pick the exit Anywheresville We’ll find a diner or truck stop Burger King even
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
Another Yom Kippur
Reading Koheleth Listening to Rostropovich’s Bach Drinking Stolichnaya Writing a postcard to Bella Balaban
The Political is Personal
At a teach-in on Israel’s blockage on Gaza Henry introduced me to Sylvia She was very involved in the growing Liberate Gaza movement She came from an unusually committed family
Viva Tang
Ten thousand and two texts A thousand and three tweets 644 Facebook status updates 87 cell phone messages save or delete Enough already! Take a deep breath Leave behind the technology And go out To…
Wang Yang-ming
Catch yourself thinking. –Allen Ginsberg The influential neo-Confucian philosopher Wang Yang-ming was influenced by Ch’an Buddhism throughout his life. And not just intellectually: He spent regularly time at Buddhist monasteries. So, it isn’t surprising to…
Oscar Romero…¡Presente! Reflections on a Pastor, Prophet, and Martyr
“If God accepts the sacrifice of my life, may my blood be a seed of freedom and a sign that hope will soon become a reality. A bishop will die, but the Church of God,…
Getting away with Mass Murder
1. Years ago a student offered her honest assessment of a Social Justice class I taught: “You know, the work load in your class is overwhelming…and I tell all my friends that they have to…
A Brief History of Conscience against Empire
Bartolomé de las Casas was asleep And then he woke up Sophie Scholl was asleep And then she woke up Daniel Ellsberg was asleep And then he woke up Waking up Can cause you trouble…
Hospitality
He was an extremely smart and humble guy In the same class as my older brother and cousins He went to the University of Chicago Dropped out after a semester He then made his way…
J. A. Topf & Sons
Someone had an idea Someone mentioned it to a colleague Someone sent a memo to the higher-ups Someone gathered a group of movers and shakers Someone got the engineers on board Someone set production goals