Franke: A Christmas Hope for All
by Mark Franke A good friend of mine, now sainted, was a professor of theology at our local Lutheran seminary. He had a brilliant mind that was manifested in a pastoral heart. He was known for his pithy statements, expressing profound points in a handful of words. Recently I was reminded of one such. It Read the full article…
Morris: Mother Teresa and Facing Doubt
by Leo Morris On a wall of the weight room in my gym at St. Joseph Medical Center downtown is a quote attributed to Mother Teresa that’s been sneaking up on me for the last few months. Many of you probably already know it: People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway. / Read the full article…
The Scary Politics of COVID Vaccinations
THERE IS A SCARY SOUND to the reported debate within the Center for Disease Control as to whether blacks as a group should receive the COVID vaccine ahead of the elderly. It would be a matter of social justice, the argument goes. Congressmen and government employees, as always, have their own rationale for special treatment. But it Read the full article…
The Outstater
WITH INAUGURATION ceremonies in the works, many are reaching for historical analogies for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. They range wildly from the reign of Commodus to the Council of Trent to the Civil War to the 1960 defeat of Richard Nixon. There is one, however, that best reflects the challenges facing our nation. It is the Battle of Hastings, in which William, Read the full article…
Half Past the Month
THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR has declared itself a charity of sorts. The executive editor in the midst of the pandemic sent an appeal for readers to give her money because . . . well, because she needs it. “Our company and IndyStar staff are facing the same economic realities that many of you are living,” explained Katrice Hardy in an extraordinary message. “Even as Read the full article…
Franke: A Light in the COVID Darkness
by Mark Franke I have avoided writing about COVID so far and intend to continue onward along this path . . . except for today. This column isn’t so much about COVID per se but about the effect it is having on our daily lives. First, I should admit that I neither understand nor care Read the full article…
