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Symbol of the Kingdom: The Problem of Pain in a Time of Pandemic

With the rapid spread of Covid-19 shutting down a good chunk of world affairs and affecting the lives of people around the globe, the topic of God and his role in “natural evil” comes back to the fore of philosophical conversation. When a disease hits or a volcano explodes or fires rage, people often either blame God for it, or indeed speculate if it’s some … Continue reading Symbol of the Kingdom: The Problem of Pain in a Time of Pandemic

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The Talk of the Three-in-One: Meditations on the Trinity

Trinity Sunday is often joked about in Christian circle as that day anyone can easily fall into heresy via poor analogies for an incomparable mystery. Some insist the topic should not even be broached unless one has a theology degree, and even then it’s a matter that treads thin ice. I, however, take for granted that analogies are inherently imperfect, not depicting what a thing … Continue reading The Talk of the Three-in-One: Meditations on the Trinity

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Ecce Homo: Pilate as Every Man

In the Passion Narratives of the Four Gospels, the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, is not portrayed as a menacing monster or two-dimensional villain, but as the image of fallen mankind, made of flesh and blood and ambition, along with the underbelly of weakness that accompanies it. He becomes the cynical “every man”, representing each one of us, his fate caught on the swinging … Continue reading Ecce Homo: Pilate as Every Man

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God’s Good Chaos: A Reflection on the Problem of Evil

The problem of Evil is one of most staggering dilemmas for the human mind. If we define it as such, then we acknowledge a spiritual component, and yet if we do that, we also acknowledge a greater power which allows for the existence of this evil, or more specifically, anything in this world which is likely to cause suffering of sentient beings, including the very … Continue reading God’s Good Chaos: A Reflection on the Problem of Evil

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C.S. Lewis and the Calormenes: A Commentary on Narnia’s Arabesque Baddies

Stereotyping all things “other” has been something of a given in the history of humanity since the first concepts of tribal, religious, and territorial distinctions emerged. The East and West divide between Christians and Muslims is certainly no exception, hammered home by centuries of wars and rumors of wars, spurred on by the instinct to simplify the complexity of anything perceived to be a threat, … Continue reading C.S. Lewis and the Calormenes: A Commentary on Narnia’s Arabesque Baddies

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The Case of Asia Bibi: A Catholic Look at Blasphemy Laws

    This past couple of weeks, the news has been immersed in the controversial case of Asia Bibi, who has been on trial for her life under the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. The origin cause seems to have been a petty squabble with neighbors involving use of a local well and the utensils used to draw water, with several Muslim women claiming that the Catholic … Continue reading The Case of Asia Bibi: A Catholic Look at Blasphemy Laws

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Easter to Me: A Personal Reflection on the Memories and Meanings of Holy Week

My childhood memories of Holy Week, when Christians the world over commemorate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, are a kaleidoscope of images and impressions, turning from lighter colors to deepening hues. I dyed eggs and watched Peter Cottontail. I savored marshmallow peeps and beamed over My Little Pony toys in my Easter basket. I basked in the lengthening days, the freshness of … Continue reading Easter to Me: A Personal Reflection on the Memories and Meanings of Holy Week

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Love Goes On and On: Growing Up with Disney’s “Robin Hood”

My first encounters with the legends of Robin Hood are, in many ways, the memory of my own maturing, realizing things for the first time which have characterized my understanding of the world around me. I suppose that this is the crux of a life-changing story; it crafts some aspect of your inner self, in a way that almost feels predestined. I first watched the … Continue reading Love Goes On and On: Growing Up with Disney’s “Robin Hood”

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Come, My Love: An Analysis of Thomas Merton’s Mystical Poem “Pass Through My Will”

The poem calls for the coming of the Divine Lover, as “all through the night I lay longing, eagerly to wait for love’s union”. There is no shame in this, but rather a reveling in the anticipation as it was meant to be, not cheap, not base, but holistic between body and soul. Continue reading Come, My Love: An Analysis of Thomas Merton’s Mystical Poem “Pass Through My Will”

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My Duty Forbids It: The Historical Context of Professor Snape

One of the first things that struck me about the character of Professor Severus Snape as portrayed by Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter film series was how in sync it tended to be with the militaristic teaching styles of real British boarding schools well into the second half of the 20th century. He made a perfect stereotypical black-cloaked, pale-faced, long-nosed schoolmaster, who did not … Continue reading My Duty Forbids It: The Historical Context of Professor Snape

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