By JIM NICHOLS There is much to be said for simply paying attention. This may be short- or long-term. Since we seem to be unable to control (or even influence) much of what occurs in our lives, we must move on to trying to decipher the meaning of what does occur. For those of us trying to follow God, this
Read more
Pew Research CenterAnna Schiller As the coronavirus pandemic continues to cause deaths and disrupt billions of lives globally, people may turn to religious groups, family, friends, co-workers or other social networks for support. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 14 countries in the summer of 2020 reveals that more Americans than people in other economically developed countries say the outbreak has
Read moreNews ReleaseEvangelical Environmental Network As evangelical Christians called to defend life at every stage, we applaud the executive orders by the Biden administration that fully mobilize the resources and unique capabilities of our government to address the climate and pollution crises at the scope and scale required. These co-related crises touch every aspect of American life, every sector of our
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON In normal times, Thursday, Jan. 28, would be the date for the annual Point in Time survey conducted locally by the West Texas Homeless Network. But 2021, at least in the early months, isn’t “normal times.” The COVID-19 pandemic is still raging, curtailing in-person and face-to-face activities. Due to a change in the way the scaled-down PIT
Read more
By LORETTA FULTON Even seeing it coming didn’t soften the impact of the closing of Connecting Caring Communities for people deeply committed to it. Dec. 31, 2020, marked the end of the neighborhood improvement initiative that got its start in 2001 at Hardin-Simmons University and gained nonprofit status in 2005. CCC was the brainchild of Linda Carleton, who was dean
Read moreBy DANNY MINTON Leaning on the bookcase next to my desk stands a Ted Williams #1725 Little League Approved Sears, Roebuck, and Co. 29-inch wooden ash baseball bat. I picked it up at an antique store a few years ago for $20. It’s worth more than what I paid, but that’s not the reason that I purchased it. The bat
Read moreIDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury A Texas automobile driver was “tooling” down a rural highway on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Most motorists had already reached destinations, or maybe decided not to go. He felt alone, not another vehicle in sight on a long stretch of pavement. Suddenly, flashing lights in his rearview mirror were strong indicators that he wasn’t alone.
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK As an English teacher, I sometimes taught literature written by authors who used a writing technique called stream-of-consciousness. That term refers to the basic idea of allowing a narrator to tell the story without any chronology, structure, or other narrative form. Stream-of-consciousness resembles live-streaming events online. It captures whatever happens without any editing. I use the term
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS The editor sent me a message that she wanted a new photo of me. It was apparently an artistic request of some kind. I complied but realized that I am in the group of people who may not relish seeing a photographic image of oneself. I do not have a large complaint, just a preference. In our
Read more
Spirit Of Abilene 