Every time I have checked the New York Times this week, the death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has increased by thousands. If I’m honest, I find myself wanting to read all about it while also wanting …
Last week, the Buddhist Community of University of Lynchburg celebrated Lunar New Year by giving away lucky coins, candy, bookmarks, and friendship bracelets in Drysdale. It was a wonderful time. We have moved into the Year of the Rabbit, and …
Part of the ritual of meeting people for the first time is to share what I do for a living. I’ll say something like, “I teach at the University of Lynchburg” or “I teach philosophy and religious studies.” Typically I …
Before going to college, I moved around a lot and didn’t feel like I had a solid group to call my community. The University of Lynchburg has become like home to me, and a big reason for that is our …
“What religion are you anyway?” This question was recently asked of me, not out of rudeness, but out of complete curiosity. I looked down at the yin yang pendant my spiritual guru gave me. Next to it was a Buddha …
Humanists believe that the most important matters in our lives are not of a divine focus, but human. With the acknowledgement of our mortality, and without a divine reach, Humanism places a secular emphasis on the potential for genuine value …
Last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearings with Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford were difficult for many people across our nation. Regardless of one’s personal opinions of the hearings, the public discourse caused millions of survivors of assault …
Although most of our staff at Lynchburg College works through the summer, the slightly slower pace does allow for a somewhat saner rhythm to each day and a bit more time for reflection. In the midst of completing annual reports …
As one of the Chaplains, I suppose I should not be as surprised as I am when someone thanks me for a small gesture of concern or care. But I am constantly surprised by which gestures someone finds meaningful and …