By JIM NICHOLS The question jumped out of the page to me: “How did faith and medical science become, for some people, mutually exclusive?” The question should be broadened to ask how, for some people, did faith and science itself become mutually exclusive, even antagonistic? We could point back to Darwin as a possible instigator. People of many faiths have

By JIM NICHOLS The two sisters had spent their whole short lives wading through the legal system. Their biological parents were dysfunctional, so consumed with their own concerns that the girls had little care or guidance. The child protection system was cumbersome but helpful enough to keep the children from obvious danger, but it involved a succession of foster homes. 

By JIM NICHOLS One of my most trusted mentors taught me that one should never begin a presentation with an apology or explanation. He had good reasons for that suggestion, and it was good counsel, but I am going to break that rule right now. As you read what follows, please remember that my primary identification is as a child

By JIM NICHOLS One of the most well-known pieces of the Bible is the set of parables of Jesus. Concentrated in certain areas of scripture but also sprinkled at random elsewhere, they contain lessons that are both profound and precise. That is not to say they are necessarily easy to understand. We generally suggest that they are stories using a

By JIM NICHOLS His given name was Leroy, although everyone called him Roy (except for his children and grandchildren).  Roy was a bus driver eventually, although he worked his way through other jobs. One of his early positions was as a door-to-door salesperson for the Fuller Brush Company. That sentence sets the period for his life and this story. Roy

By JIM NICHOLS I suspect my friend does not remember saying it, but I have not forgotten his statement, “Not every task demands perfection.” Like many of you, I have tried to do things correctly for my whole life. It has become obvious that most pieces of life are out of my control; nevertheless, I have worked hard to perform

By JIM NICHOLS Our bodies are not the only things that need exercise. To try to keep my body functioning as well as possible as I age, I do physical activities that might maintain flexibility and strength. It is not comforting to keep reading how much muscle mass a body loses every ten years. My mind and my soul need

By JIM NICHOLS There is so much darkness in the world it seems, perhaps we need to speak more about light—or more specifically, love. I have always liked to learn unfamiliar words. Once I graduated from Dick, Jane, and Spot, even as a child I relished coming upon a word that contained new meaning. In junior high I learned the

By JIM NICHOLS Data from the U.S. Census Bureau recently made a point worth noting. In 2011, 14.3 percent of adults 25 and up had a bachelor’s degree. In 2021, 23.5 percent did. There were parallels of increase in graduate degrees past the bachelor’s degree. As a person with an academic background, I consider this good news. For better or