Improving communities by helping residents, one person at a time.
We’ve always had someone who believed in us. If we hadn’t, we wouldn’t have made it this far through all the trials and tribulations of this life. We wouldn’t have made anything of ourselves. As a hymn puts it, “Blessed are the feet of… Continue Reading “On Wings of Grace”
My next-door neighbor Tom – the one who taught me how to drive a big rig — told me one afternoon that his brother had gone to collect the rent at one of the houses he owned. His brother knocked on the door, it… Continue Reading “To Forgive and Reconcile”
When I ran an ecumenical fair housing project for the San Gabriel Valley, I could always count on four faith communities: the Quakers, the Universalist Unitarians, Disciples of Christ and Catholics who believed in the social teachings of the Catholic Church. But day-in and… Continue Reading “Holy Persistence”
Many of our presidents have been bigger than life. I suppose that just putting oneself forth in such a contest requires a fairly strong ego. It requires the conviction that you can win and it requires the conviction that you can do the job,… Continue Reading “In the Arena”
I have returned from three marvelous adventures: San Francisco where Jai and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary; West Virginia where we held our 9th annual Wounded Warrior event; and the City of New York where Alexis’s aunt Charlene was married. With a great… Continue Reading “What Say You?”
Transfiguration Sunday, in the eyes of many, is a one-off miracle testifying as to just how great Jesus was. That understanding sells Transfiguration Sunday short. Far, far short. Christ bathed in the radiance of the Torah tradition of Love of God and of neighbor. … Continue Reading “A Glory that Transfigures You and Me”
In the 2008 election one candidate seemed to come out of nowhere. A little-known senator from Illinois. And within months after he announced his candidacy for the presidency, he had assembled an entire army of enthusiastic volunteers. A most formidable army. As background to… Continue Reading “Hopey, Changey People”
There are just some folks you can count on. Their word is as good as gold. And others? In the building business we have a saying: “Money talks and cow manure (or something like that) walks. Some subcontractors will be Johnny-on-the-spot on the agreed… Continue Reading “Plenitude”
As we pass another landmark milestone for this republic, many are sincerely wondering, where are we heading? What is left of worth? What is our duty as citizens in the present moment? No, the Forneys are not going to Canada, though having ancestors from… Continue Reading “Higher Ground”
As our 250th birthday approaches we are seduced into an orgy of nostalgia and kitsch. The banality of the recent cage fight on the White House lawn being the least of what’s to come. In preparation for the events around the 4th of July,… Continue Reading “We Must Cry Out”