What's Tony Thinking

A Stupid Question

January 22, 2022 — One of the stock-in-trade techniques of my journalist friend, David Brewster, is to ask “stupid questions.” They aren’t really stupid at all. They tend to probe beneath unexamined assumptions and conventional wisdom. So I have a “stupid question,” of my own, i.e. David is not implicated. How come the possible Russian invasion of Ukraine is... Read More

The Continuing Cost of COVID Denial

January 20, 2022 — My son who works in healthcare forwarded an article from the Guardian about PTSD among overwhelmed health care workers. It was based on research by one of his colleagues at the VA here in Seattle. Here’s a line that jumped out at me, from a cardiac intensive care nurse in Muncie, Indiana: “I have had... Read More

More on Biden

January 18, 2022 — After last week’s piece in which I suggested the Democrats may be barking up the wrong tree, a friend wrote with a caution. He worries that criticism of Biden will make it that much easier for Trump to stage his second-coming. I get his concern. The criticism I offer is intended to encourage changes that... Read More

My Church and The Civil Rights Movement

January 16, 2022 — At dinner last night my 9-year-old grandson, Levi, said, “Grandpa, tell me about some events in your life.” I told him about being an usher at the Presidential Inauguration of John F. Kennedy when I was twelve years old. “It snowed the night before. We had to be at our post at 7:00 a.m. It... Read More

The Lord Delights in You

January 15, 2022 — Several of you expressed appreciation for my reflection last Sunday on the lesson from the prophet Isaiah. So I thought I would do another, as again the Old Testament reading for this Sunday, January 16, comes from the prophet Isaiah. Today it is Isaiah, chapter 62, verse 1 to 5. Here’s a bit, from verses... Read More

Woke Me When It’s Over

January 13, 2022 — In 2021 journalist Bari Weiss resigned in protest from the NYT because of the paper’s embrace of an ideological approach to the news. Weiss now writes “Common Sense” at Substack, where a number of independent journalists are finding a home. In yesterday’s issue of “Common Sense” Weiss highlights a similar move made by the distinguished... Read More

Awesome

January 12, 2022 — First off, a reminder of the earlier announcement. Coming soon to a computer near you: our webinar based on the Francis Spufford book Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything Christianity can still make Surprising Emotional Sense. It begins on Monday, February 7. For those of us on the west coast (PST) it will be 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.... Read More

Will 2024 Be the Real “Flight 93” Election?

January 12, 2022 — Amid our divisions there seems to be a point of unity. Everyone agrees that America is at a point of existential crisis. Survival is at stake. Make or break. However odious the messenger, that was the premise of MAGA. That America was in decline and at risk. Remember the Trump supporters argument that 2016 is... Read More

From White Salmon

January 11, 2022 — We are in White Salmon, Washington, helping our daughter Laura and her fiance Noah pack up her household prior to her move to Atlanta. White Salmon is in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, just north across the Columbia from Hood River, Oregon. I’d never quite gotten the name “White Salmon.” The only salmon I’ve seen... Read More

When You Pass Through Deep Waters

January 9, 2022 — The Old Testament reading for this day, “Baptism of Christ” Sunday, comes from the prophet Isaiah, specifically Isaiah 43: 1 – 7. Here’s a bit of it, from verses 1 – 3: “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I... Read More

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