Abortion, Christianity, and Public Discourse

While we’d would like to think we’re open to considering other people’s opinions with an even hand, most of us, myself included, have generally landed on one side or another of the hotly contested issues of our day. People who are serious about their faith seem especially keen to take immovable positions on lots and…

The Silence of the Lambs

I’m not talking about the silence of lambs being led to slaughter. I’m talking about all the quiet lambs looking on from the safety of open pastures. German Christians watched in silence for many years as the machinery of state terror was constructed, fueled and then set in motion. Of course, there will be some…

Indecent Exposure

The quest for individual freedom is the quest to live in space. Alone. Untethered to others. I’d like to light my pipe in a restaurant after a fine meal, or in my office where the rumination of a pipe will help me to think a thing through. But I refrain. It is a reminder that…

Delaney. Part XXXI

Father Fitzpatrick and Brother Doyle are setting a few chairs out on the lawn in front of the Friary. The September breeze makes for pleasant weather to conduct an outdoor visit, and an ideal environment for little Fiona to keep herself occupied during the meeting. “I confess,” he says, “I didn’t expect to see all…

Delaney. Part XXX

Mr. Murphey is in a frantic state, rushing through his office and shoveling his personal effects into a wooden box. His hair is wild, and his eyes are wild, and he is calling madly for his secretary. “Miss Sweeny!” And when she does not get out from behind her desk and run into his office…