If you travel to Montoursville, Pennsylvania, chances are you will drive on US 220. For me, this was the way “home.” Travelling east on Interstate 80 from western Pennsylvania, take the exit near Mackeyville, and pass by Mill Hall, Lock Haven, Avis, Jersey Shore, Linden, Duboistown, and Williamsport, then arrive in Montoursville, the town I … Continue reading 220: The Way Home
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Metrics
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” – William Bruce Cameron (often attributed to Albert Einstein) Long ago, I served on a university strategic planning committee. One of our tasks was to assess the “quality” of the faculty. The problem was how to quantify quality. We decided … Continue reading Metrics
Wisdom Revisited
While I’m recuperating from a medical procedure, here are some thoughts I posted on my office door many years ago. This is an edited version. The “Wisdom” of the World contrasted with Christ’s Wisdom: Never apologize. Saying “I’m sorry” is a sign of weakness. “First, be reconciled with your brother.” It takes strength to admit … Continue reading Wisdom Revisited
The Corinthians
Once upon a time, there was a Corinthian King who said he loved his country. He said, “I love the poorly educated.” He also said, “When somebody’s nice to me, I love that person. Even if they’re bad people, I couldn’t care less. I’ll fight to the end for them.” Perhaps he thought, “nobody knows … Continue reading The Corinthians
Mercy
An Easter Meditation Some of us like to pray for justice. Amos 5:24 is often quoted. “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Yet, if the Lord decides to give us what we truly deserve, perhaps we should be happy to receive mercy instead. In the Easter season, we … Continue reading Mercy
Toys
When we were kids, dad built an HO-scale train layout. He also liked building engines and railcars from kits and was a friend of Mr. English, who owned Bowser Manufacturing (a well-known model train supplier in our hometown). The layout was not as elaborate as those we might see at model train shows. It was … Continue reading Toys
Asteroids
About 66 million years ago, an asteroid comparable in size to Mt. Everest collided with the Earth near what is now the Yucatan peninsula. That collision brought the age of dinosaurs to an end and set the stage for the rise of mammals, including the super-predators known as homo sapiens. It was the fifth major … Continue reading Asteroids
Beliefs
Several years ago, we rented a large pickup truck. As a joke, I posted a photo of myself standing beside the shiny new truck in our driveway, with the caption, “Our new truck.” I received many positive comments before I confessed my prank. I’m sure some of my friends were genuinely happy for me. But … Continue reading Beliefs
Fault Lines
Whenever my grandfather had enough of his grandchildren, the television, or just people in general talking too much, he would remark, “Yack, Yack, Yack…” as if words – the noises we make with our mouths and vocal cords – would ever solve anything. James 3:3-6 issues a stern warning: “When we put bits into the … Continue reading Fault Lines
A Lenten Meditation
When I was little, my grandma called me her “joy boy.” To be fair, I was the first grandchild, so I had that going for me. Grandma taught Sunday School to little kids and even drove a few to Emannuel Baptist Church. Their parents didn’t have the means, but Grandma cared about them and set … Continue reading A Lenten Meditation
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