Since the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, we have been inundated with images of violence and hatred from that day of infamy. Each day seems to bring a new photo or video that shocks. A couple of days ago I saw for the first time video of a rioter leading other insurrectionists ...
Since midsummer of this awful year, the Trump administration has executed 10 people without much public notice. What little reporting this story has received has been drowned out by the election, the pandemic, and the torrent of lies and conspiracy theories still flowing from a crippled White House. Attorney General William Barr cleared the ...
When you swear off writing as long as I did, readers deserve to know why. My first excuse: I was overwhelmed by too much of 2020, depressed by the bizarre election season and numbed by alarming pandemic developments. So after my last blog on Oct. 8, I switched off my laptop and cleared ...
After my last blog (Forgiveness, Sept. 25), an old friend from my Springs days posted a comment. Bunny Bramson and I have known each other since the mid-1970s when we both worked in New York for Springs. Here’s what she said: Hey Buck. I anticipate reading your words but am now saddened at how ...
On Sept. 13, the 15th Sunday after Pentecost on the church calendar, my sermon at St. John the Evangelist in Newport, RI, was framed around the day’s gospel, Matthew 18: 21-35. Here’s the passage, from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another ...
You don’t need a Ph.D. in ethno-botany from Harvard and have authored a dozen deep-think books to know that problems in our country runneth over. Being a Brainiac would help, though, if you had to boil down what ails us in one cogent essay. I couldn’t possibly do it, but I think I’ve found someone ...
I wake up most mornings thinking of ways to escape, even if just for a while, the distressing reality of life in America today. Many of you may also be looking for respite, given the daily onrush of alarming news. I cope by immersing myself in activities that bring both peace and a sense of ...
Earlier this week I noticed a Facebook post from Lee McAden Robinson. Lee is the elder sister of Fitz McAden, who edits this blog. I’ve known them both all my life. Lee’s post had the catchy caption, “This woman is the devil incarnate” above a picture of our Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. I commented ...
I’ve spoken about patriotism in two past sermons that coincided with the Fourth of July, one five years ago and the other the next year. Here are links to both, which were delivered at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Newport, RI: https://thequixoticdeacon.com/sermon/christian-patriotism-originally-july-5th-2015/ https://thequixoticdeacon.com/sermon/christian-patriotism-part-two-originally-july-5-2016/ Because we’ve experienced so much social ...
Note from Buck: this mini post has not been edited by Fitz! So all poor grammar, syntax, etc. are not his fault. Today, when I woke up I realized I had completed 70 years of life. It was a serious realization but a happy one. And, as happy as I am to have survived 7 ...
