If you haven’t seen the new Les Miserables motion picture, finish reading this post first, then grab your tickets on fandango. The music, and the story, is stunningly beautiful. It is emotionally vigorous. It is theologically rich. And it is soul-transforming. Ok, maybe these promises are a little high, but for one who was wondering if Hollywood couldn’t produce anything except super-hero remakes, endless sequels to previous blockbuster mega-hits, or anything with vampires… although Les...
There has been much clamoring surrounding the fiscal cliff of late. Interest groups of every shape and color want to make sure they aren’t the ones to feel the blunt force of spending cuts or tax increases. One interest group has caught my eye amidst the commotion. This is the adoptive families interest group. For months now, politically active Christian groups have been raising quite a stink about the adoption tax credit (standing near 13k)...
As I am writing this I am currently recovering from celebrating New Years Eve at Times Square in New York City with co-blogger Caleb Johnson. Nearly ten hours of waiting in the cold on Broadway… It was a lot of fun, but I’m completely exhausted. Yet before I went to bed I wanted to reflect a little on the best posts here at The Two Cities from the past year. By far the best post...
We’ve all heard it before—Bill O’Reilley’s rants over the “War on Christmas”. Bill doesn’t like when people call Christmas trees, “Holiday Trees”. He thinks gender-neutral toy commercials offend the little baby Jesus, and don’t even think about taking the “Christ” out of Christmas. But I am here today to tell you about a different war on Christmas — a war that impacts over 19.7 million people every year. This war is so painful, and brings...
For many in Newton, Connecticut, the idea of celebrating Christmas ideals of cheer, joy, and peace seem inhumane this December 25th. Smiling and happiness in the face of massacre, pain, and mourning… doesn’t seem right. In fact, celebrating amidst such darkness almost brings on a feeling of shame. To do anything other than to grieve almost seems to heartlessly make like of the situation. To turn a blind eye to such atrocity would certainly...
On days like this one, we feel it more, we see it more. Some of us may only see, while others are closer and may feel. We don’t always get to choose which of the two we are. But once you are of those that feel, you cannot go back to merely seeing. A day of tragedy, loss, violence. A run of events beyond our control, with images that are available for all to see,...
“Pooh-pooh to the Whos!” he was grinch-ish-ly humming. “They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming! “They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do! “Their mouths will hang open a minute or two “Then all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!” “That’s a noise,” grinned the Grinch, “That I simply must hear!” So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand...
Anyone who’s come over for dinner has seen my collection of Peruvian oil paintings of the Virgin Mary. Several years ago, a spending spree and newfound obsession with Catholic art (despite being a Reformed Baptist) landed me with a few too many Marys: three hanging in the hallway and one above my bed. Buyer’s remorse aside, they’re gorgeous. Several of them depict the virgin mother cradling the infant Jesus—a beautiful, visual reminder of the miracle...
After his recent trip to Asia, it’s good to see our President (well, the US President, to be sensitive to our international readers) is back in time for the important parts of his job- namely, the Presidential Pardon of a Thanksgiving Day Turkey. This year, Cobbler and his pal Gobbler received “the nod” to be spared the axe this Thanksgiving, a deliverance celebrated and complete with a Presidential photo-op and the liberty to take a...
On November 6th, Barack Obama was reelected faster than Thai food was delivered to my election night party. Though it is still obvious that our country is split down the middle, the election easily went to the Democratic Party. The people have spoken, and I think it’s time for Americans to accept this shift of American culture. So the question is, what does this mean for the Christian? This past week I saw many reactions...
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