Brinton’s Bridges
A Warning from the Hittites
The Hittites were a superpower in the area that is modern-day Turkey, dominating the region for nearly 500 years. For a time, they even rivaled the power of Egypt. But around 1200 BC, they mysteriously abandoned their capital and religious center. Stuart Manning, an...
Witches, White Sage and Sustainability
A 23-year-old witch named Kitha sells bundles of rosemary, cedar and black sage in an online shop. Not sold, however, is white sage. “I started my shop because I was always raised [with] Indigenous values, and one of those values is that, like, we don’t own Earth,"...
Creativity and Climate Change
"Stand-up comedians have long cast an amusing lens on our society," writes Kasha Patel in The Washington Post, "crafting observations about everything we might encounter, such as family, divorce, travel, a second divorce, pets and, more recently, climate change." Yes,...
When Faith Turns Green
"We need to learn about deep green faith," says the Rev. Kevin McGrane, an Episcopal priest, "then teach it, preach it, live it." A deep green faith is based on the belief that God loves the world so much that he sent Jesus into the middle of it, to be our Lord and...
Return of the Sun
The winter solstice, the longest night of the year, falls on December 21 this year. "Since ancient times," says Encyclopaedia Britannica, "people all over the world have recognized this important astronomical occurrence and celebrated the subsequent 'return' of the...
Thanksgiving Grief
“There is a picture-postcard myth that we all see everywhere we look – that everyone is going to be sitting down at the dining room table with the traditional family dinner,” says Dr. John Oldham of The Menninger Clinic in Houston. “That’s not going to be the case for...
Running Keeps Body and Soul Together
The 47th Marine Corps Marathon was run on Sunday, October 30, and the 51st running of the New York City Marathon was held on Sunday, November 6. Two amazing events, with routes around the monuments of Washington, DC, and through the five boroughs of New York City....
Spirituality and Halloween
In my novel Windows of the Heavens, a Methodist pastor named Harley Camden visited a Mexican restaurant called La Casa Blanca, in Lorton, Virginia. It was Halloween, and his waitress was Miranda Weiss. Both were single, and they had developed a friendship over the...
Wreckage on a Staggering Scale
Hurricane Ian delivered a devastating blow to southwestern Florida in late September, leaving people without electricity, drinking water, or habitable homes. Governor Ron DeSantis said that there had been a “biblical” storm surge on Sanibel Island, a tourist area...
It Could Happen Here
Rain pounded on the roof of Harley Camden’s house, banged on the windows, and rattled down the gutters, all through the night. The cascading water provided the soundtrack for a vivid dream, one in which three women were standing around a huge iron cauldron at the...
The War Against Witches
WitchsFest USA was a street fair held in New York City's West Village in July. In attendance were pagans and witches, as well as Christian protesters and street preachers. “There were about 30 [evangelists] this year,” said Starr RavenHawk to The Washington Post. She...
Garnet God
A gray rock outcrop stands in the hills of northern Connecticut, according to Yale Alumni Magazine. I thought of these rocks as my wife and I drove through Connecticut just a few weeks ago, as we headed to Maine for vacation. Looking at these rocks today,...