Category: America

America, Culture, Faith, fear, Hope, hope, Politics, social media, spirituality, Story3 Comments

Faith is Courage in Spite of …

Gary Furr

A friend who has devoted her adult life to global poverty texted me this week. Discouragement, confusion, chaos is everywhere. A sense of paranoia and ruthless cruelty has settled in our capital, and now the enemies of America are apparently other Americans. I sent these words to her amid the distress and I share them with you if you need them. ———————————————————————————— There’s a famous story that Robert Bly tells about Carl Jung who, whenever a friend reported enthusiastically, ‘I have just been promoted!’ Jung would say, ‘I’m very sorry to hear that; but if we all stick together, I … Continue reading Faith is Courage in Spite of …

America, Citizenship, Culture, Ethics, Leadership, Politics, Story

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me

Gary Furr

Jackie Gleason used to play a character called the Poor Soul. He walked with a slump and every step he took said, “I don’t deserve to be here.” I’ve been trying to figure out how a man who has the office of President and a cowering party that never calls him out can walk around like everyone is so mean to him. We’re running out of teacups for President Trump’s tempests. He does love them. The poor man. People seem to be so mean to him. Most recently, of course, it was a gentle admonition at the National Cathedral, when … Continue reading Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me

America, Citizenship, Culture, Ethics, Love, Politics, racism

Life After Elections

Gary Furr

Friends, I have voted. It is a precious opportunity we never miss. And tomorrow, I want you all to know that I will STILL be your neighbor and fellow countryman. I will still do all in my might for good. Vickie and I watched Henry Louis Gates’ series “Finding Your Roots” recently. In 2021 he did a show for singer and music producer Pharrell Williams. As he discovered the pain of his slavery past he was emotionally overwhelmed. Then he said something that knocked me over. “I love America. I just want America to love me back.” That was a … Continue reading Life After Elections

America, Citizenship, Culture, guns1 Comment

Responsibility, Freedom and Uvalde

Gary Furr

It’s incomprehensible that 325 million people can’t figure out how to keep their 18-year-old males from killing us and our children and grandchildren. We will hear a barrage of excuses, arguments, high-minded rationalizations and fatuous fears in the days ahead. I am feeling the despair I had after the massacre of babies that happened at Sandy Hook. We will pit gun rights versus safety for children, argue about paranoid conspiracy theories and generally avoid doing anything. Because that’s how we’ve turned away from the crisis. Here’s the deal for me. You let an 18-year-old stroll in and buy body armor, … Continue reading Responsibility, Freedom and Uvalde

America, Americana, apocalyptic, Bob Dylan, Covid-19, Folk, folk music, Hope, humanity, pandemic, Sickness and Health, Spirituality, Suffering, Theology and Life

Living Through Exile

Gary Furr

I wrote this to our church back at the beginning of April. I hoped, like all of us, that we’d be “back to normal” by now. But we aren’t. So in looking back at this, it’s more relevant than I thought. We’re in it for a while. Hold on. The exile in ancient Israel was a traumatic disruption.  The city of Jerusalem and all the towns of any size were sacked and burned, people scattered and all the Judaeans with any talent, leadership or education were marched across the desert to Babylon Iraq where they lived in an ethnic ghetto, … Continue reading Living Through Exile