by Eric Immel, SJ | Jul 5, 2017 | Blogs, Justice, Spirituality ~ Approx. 4 mins
For well over a decade, I made an annual trip to Door County, WI for a 4th of July celebration. Months ahead of time, I would stew in blissful anticipation of the affair – long nights of deep conversation and stargazing that ended with sunrise, bocce ball and...
by Lucas Sharma, SJ | Jul 4, 2017 | Faith & Politics ~ Approx. 4 mins
In the middle of a heated debate about healthcare, I find myself in the Capitol building on a guided tour of the House of Representatives. Amidst the hordes of summer tourists, I walk through the halls of Congress with one intent: to witness the opening of the day’s...
by Brendan Gottschall, SJ | Jul 3, 2017 | Faith & Politics ~ Approx. 3 mins
When was the last time you used the word “evil” in your daily life? I was compelled to use it last week when a colleague showed me a graphic video (warning: it is intensely violent) of an assault and robbery in the French Quarter of New Orleans, where I am working for...
by Henoch Derbew | Jun 30, 2017 | Faith & Politics ~ Approx. 5 mins
By the end of the 1960s, most of Africa was finally under native heads of state. People of African descent around the world celebrated, reinvigorated by a new sense of self-love and solidarity. This culminating sentiment of “Pan-Africanism” was expressed in many...
by Andrew Hanson | Jun 29, 2017 | Blogs, Faith & Family, Spirituality ~ Approx. 3 mins
My dad has lived all over the world – from Iowa to Italy, Brazil and back. As a result, he’s spent years of his life navigating multiple languages. Because of this acuity for words, he’s become a man who produces eye-rolling, head-shaking puns....
by Nathaniel Romano, SJ | Jun 28, 2017 | Faith & Politics ~ Approx. 5 mins
Perhaps the biggest decision released by the Supreme Court at the end of its 2016-17 term this past week came not in a final decision, but in an interim order. On June 26, the Court issued an unsigned “Per Curiam” order covering several cases under the name Trump v....
by Colten Biro | Jun 27, 2017 | Pop Culture ~ Approx. 3 mins
I was once notorious for my handwriting, and I probably still am. I’d write on the board of my classroom, and my students would in unison tilt their heads, inevitably leading a brave soul to raise their hand, “Mr. B., HOW do you spell that?” As I edit papers for my...
by Bill McCormick, SJ | Jun 23, 2017 | Faith & Politics ~ Approx. 5 mins
Imagine you and I are debating the best way to slice bread. It shouldn’t be that controversial. Slicing bread is not difficult, and, even if we do disagree on how to do it, our difference should not engender moral judgments against each other. But somehow we find...
by Michael Mohr, SJ | Jun 22, 2017 | Faith & Politics ~ Approx. 2min
After an exhausting 15 hour flight, all I wanted was a cold beer. I was looking at a nine hour layover in the Middle East, and in hopes of passing the time, I sought to make friends in one of the airport’s lounges. Approaching a smiling attendant, I inquired if she...
by Garrett Gundlach, SJ | Jun 21, 2017 | Blogs, Spirituality ~ Approx. 4 mins
Four years ago while studying in Québec, I managed to celebrate my birthday without a single Bonne fête or cake. None of my classmates, instructors, or housemates knew — that is, until the next day, June 6th, when one of my classmates (whose Facebook friendship...
