By Jim Nichols Silence is a word that demands an opposite. We each understand what is meant by silence, but we would probably define it as the absence of something. We speak about silence “being broken” by noise, by a racket, by music, by applause, by clamor. Some of the methods of breaking the silence are gentler while others are

By Jim Nichols We have two small children in our extended family right now; one is four years old and the other is two. They learn amazing things quickly and are generally delightful, though sometimes challenging. Hearing them learn language is one of the most fascinating aspects of their growth. Particularly right now, the four-year-old shows some surprising early maturity

By Jim Nichols Every conversation does not need to be an argument.  I observed two individuals yesterday in a discussion that went in an unnecessary direction. They apparently knew each other and ended up in the same place at the same time physically. Person A clearly asked Person B for an opinion on a topic. Person B’s response elicited disagreement

By Jim Nichols It is a maneuver used often by younger students in a religious situation. The teacher requires each child to memorize a verse from the Bible and recite it for everyone. As you might guess, each child gravitates toward a short and simple verse. They already learned from older children that “Jesus wept” will be acceptable, though not

By Jim Nichols It is probably asking too much routinely of a television newscast, but the other night a single sentence had some weight. The story concerned a criminal activity in another state; it was a serious situation in action and consequences. In the report, an attorney for one of the accused said, “He’s only eighteen; he had no idea

By Jim Nichols Even those of us who value scripture as having a special holiness and importance recognize that there are other words spoken or written by humans that have more than a hint of inspiration. A preacher friend of mine would consistently identify those by saying offhandedly, “Why, that’s almost Bible.” Here are some samples. I am continually surprised

By Jim Nichols There was a backyard conversation recently, a kind of wildlife fantasy. It was possible to eavesdrop thanks to modern technology. Only a few people know that Amazon is now selling what can best be called a “wildlife language translator.” I bought one. The instructions were not too clear as to whether the device was listening to actual

By Jim Nichols The winter Olympics are on television right now and, as usual, they are spectacular in multiple aspects. Strength, skill, and technique abound, as does courage. Can you imagine how many times each of those athletes has fallen during practice? And not just fallen but fallen on ice? Ice is hard. Hold those thoughts about making mistakes and

By Jim Nichols There are multiple folk versions of the parable of the blindmen trying to describe an elephant. You will remember that one man felt the side of the animal and described it as a wall. Another felt the trunk and said it was a snake. Various other descriptions were a spear (tusk), tree (leg), fan (ear), rope (tail,)