What do we need to do before we can safely reopen the economy? Here in Rhode Island we’re apparently the only state with testing capacity that is at the recommended levels for making that move. But are we using the capacity we have in the best way so as to inform our decision making? A essay by the vice provost of U of Penn (who’s an oncologist/bioethicist) and by an economist from NYU argues that […]
We are facing a moment unlike any we have faced in modern times. In response people across Rhode Island have shown courage, strength and compassion to each other and to our neighbors. We are still in the midst of this crisis, and sadly the end is not yet in sight. Yet because of the decisions being made by state leaders, along with the heroism of medical professionals, emergency response teams and workers in critical industries, […]
My friend Lucas Mix, one of my companions in the Society of Ordained Scientist has put our present quarantine into context in a way I’ve been trying to express, but to this point failing. He writes: Many “shelter in place” for fear of sickness and death. Christians have another reason. We will enter quarantine, trusting in God, but we must not leave quarantine. Currently, we cannot care for the sick without spreading the virus. When […]
Lord Jesus, we call you Savior and that you are. Come quickly to our aid in this time of sickness and disruption. Send your angels to protect those in danger, to heal the sick and to guard the dying. We ask particularly for your loving arms to hold and protect the medical personnel, the first responders and the essential workers without whom we would be lost. Lead us to safety by the power of your […]
Some of you may have wondered about the letters that come after my signature. “SOSc” stands for the Society of Ordained Scientists. It’s a “dispersed” religious community, and I have taken my life vows as a member of that order. The members have been professional scientists at one point in their career (and a significant number still are), and most of them are ordained in one of the churches of the Anglican Communion (though there […]
Walter Ong, a Jesuit who studied linguistics was fascinated by the difference between oral and literary cultures. Oral cultures value one sort of communication structure and literate ones another. (The difference is explained in The Atlantic article by Robinson Meyer linked below.) Twitter (and to a similar degree Facebook, and I guess in a way even Instagram and Snapchat) represents an intersection between the oral and literary communication paradigms. Meyer writes: Before Ong died in […]
That "something else" has often endorsed a utopian political agenda that aspires to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth through human effort.
I speak as a faith leader, and as a scientist. I want to publicly thank Governor Raimondo for her decision to ban flavored E-Vaping products in this state. Better to stop and evaluate than to risk people’s lives. There are a few arguments to be made that this technology is less harmful than the known dangers of a cigarette, but there are many more concerns about the additives and their interactions. This was tragically demonstrated […]
I am writing this from the House of Bishops meeting in Minneapolis. We meet every spring and often in the fall. This particular meeting is characterized by the addition of many new bishops to our community. Most of the new bishops are younger, many are women and quite a few are people of color. It’s a sign that the Episcopal Church is undergoing a significant change in its demographics, a shift that mirrors the changes […]
Entangled States 