Mars Is Ready For Its Closeup
Why does something look big? Is it because it actually IS big, or is it because it is close to us?
The closest celestial body to the Earth is our Moon. It’s an object that’s very easy to see without any visual aid, visible even in the daytime if you are observant enough. The Sun appears to be the same size as the Moon in our sky, but this is only because the much larger Sun is much farther...read more ❯
Where Is Earth 2.0?
When all you have is one example, it’s interesting to speculate but hard to draw conclusions.
How Common Are Planets?
For most of my lifetime, we only knew of one star hosting a planetary system: ours. Were the conditions that allowed Sol to host planets from Mercury to Neptune, and smaller objects from rocky remnants to distant ice balls, common? Unusual? Unique?
As we began to better...read more ❯
My Son the Deer Whisperer
We were staying with friends at an Airbnb in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania recently. It was a great weekend catching up with friends. We spent the weekend enjoying good food, deep conversations, board games, and time outside enjoying nature.
While we were there, I learned something new about my son: he’s a deer whisperer.
Every day, numerous deer would walk up to the house. At...read more ❯
We Are Enough
We have final exams, papers, and projects.
We have annual reports, assessments, and grading.
We have so much to do, and it may all seem so urgent.
Hopefully, we remember to breathe. Hopefully, we remember to have compassion for ourselves and for others. The chaos that some experience during this time of year can be overwhelming, but we must remember to do our very best and to love...read more ❯
With Deep Grief and Sympathy
We have suffered a great loss and our university is reeling with grief.
As was announced yesterday, Frank Csorba, an undergraduate alumnus in criminology and graduate student in the master of public health program, passed away.
Frank entered this world on December 12th, 2000, and departed our lives and this world on April 23rd, 2024. He will be missed dearly by his parents, Jessica and...read more ❯
The Power of Names
Last week Laura Anderson spoke to a crowded Sydnor Auditorium about religious trauma. For those of you unable to attend, Laura is a licensed psychotherapist and author of the recently published When Religion Hurts You. She describes religious trauma as the body’s response to overwhelming experiences that happen within religion, especially what she describes as “high-control religion.”...read more ❯
The Special Spark Within
I have a recurring dream.
My grandfather, Grandfather Wise, holds out his coffee-colored hand and takes me for a walk on the land I purchased some years ago. In this dream, we do not talk. I confess that I can no longer remember the sound of his voice. We communicate through our heart; words are not necessary.
We stop and stare at bluebells, my favorite flower. There are always...read more ❯
Divine Presence
Last Thursday, I was on campus late. I had just finished attending a wonderful lecture by a visiting scholar, Dr. Sawyer Kemp, and I was walking from the Memorial Ballroom back to my car. The wind was blowing in the way that wind often does—majestically and softly. I stopped at the big tree near Carnegie.
I notice this tree a lot.
I often find myself wanting to wrap my arms around...read more ❯
Unconditional Love: Our Deep Inner Being
I have learned so much about compassion and unconditional love from watching my mother, Penny. I have seen her care for countless family members as they have finished their earthly time. I have witnessed her forgive those who have deeply wronged her. I have observed her see the best in me even when I could not. How can I be more like Penny?
Perhaps, the answer can be found in unconditional...read more ❯
The Vastness of Cathedrals, the Smallness of Me
Last week, I climbed to the top of the Washington National Cathedral. I was unaware how tall the second tallest church building in the U.S. truly was until I was standing at the top of it. No one had warned me. And if someone did, I might have decided to stay on the ground floor.
A good friend of mine who works at the Washington National Cathedral had promised to take me on a behind-the-scenes...read more ❯