Topic
Identity & Belonging
Who we are, the pull of individualism, and finding ourselves in community.

October 28, 2024
Are We All Alone? Remembering All Saints Day
Two weeks ago, my grandfather passed away after a brief time in hospice. He was my last remaining grandparent. As I drove down to see him for the last time, I reflected on what a…

August 19, 2022
FOMO
When I was a junior in high school, most of my friends made plans to go to Europe for the summer. (With the benefit of hindsight, I can see what an unusual and privileged situatio…

June 19, 2022
Give Me Church
For two weeks this year, our family was unable to attend our church in person, so we watched the live stream. It was prompted by positive COVID tests (no worries, we’re vaccinated…

June 14, 2022
Do You Want To Know Yourself?
In his famous book The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis writes, "We seldom overcome even one fault perfectly."

October 11, 2021
A Way Out of Hyper-Individualism?
I regularly hear sharp critiques of America's culture of extreme individualism.

April 13, 2021
Why do I need to find myself?
A common phrase in my childhood was, “When you grow up, you can be anything you want to be.” I sometimes responded with sarcastic comments like, “Oh, sure, then I guess I’ll be an…
