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Why We Should NOT Dump The Confederate Flag (at least right now)
By Steve on June 21, 2015
It has happened again… The racial wound that Michael Brown’s tragic death in Henderson Missouri had inflicted on our nation had only started to heal when it was ripped open once again by Dylan Storm…
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Tony Campolo Comes Out As “Gay Affirming”
By Steve on June 9, 2015
“Are you gay affirming?” I was asked not long ago. The question caught me off guard. It was in regards to the Bread & Wine group I run in Hong Kong and the inquirer wanted to…
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Why Our Ideas Of “Fairness” Lead to Bitterness & Grief
By Steve on June 1, 2015
But it’s not fair! How often do we hear this mantra in our lives? Whether we express such an accusation verbally or leave it repressed and stirring at the bottom of our soul, if you…
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Beyond the Pale: The Podcast
By Steve on May 28, 2015
While walking the Camino de Santiago last month I listened to a LOT of podcasts. Yes, of course there was hours of reflection, meditation, prayer…and just plain mumbling to myself but lets face it; when…
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The Jesus Test: What Would Jesus Say?
By Steve on May 25, 2015
Years back wearing a WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelet was all the rage among evangelical Christians. Glancing down at the bracelet was supposed to filter our daily actions through the prism of Christ and…
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Weekend Distractions: Goodnight David Letterman
By Steve on May 24, 2015
This past week David Letterman signed off after hosting his late night show for 33 years. With 6,028 episodes Letterman has become the longest serving talk-show host surpassing even the late great Johnny Carson. Tributes…
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American Crazy: Prayer Vigils for Ice Cream
By Steve on May 19, 2015
While walking the Camino de Santiago last month I had the opportunity to talk with many people from countries around the world particularly from Europe. Contrary to the stereotype that Europeans don’t care much for…
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Camino Lessons: The Joy Of Seeing Friends In Santiago!
By Steve on May 12, 2015
Arriving in Santiago was perhaps more emotional than I had expected. After almost 5 weeks of walking the sense of anticipation grew as my son Gabriel and I entered the outer perimeter of the city. Finally…
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Judging “Tourist Pilgrims” On The Camino de Santiago
By Steve on May 2, 2015
At Beyond the Pale I devote a fair bit of space towards dismantling the politics of tribalism and “us vs. them” thinking. Usually because, well, I struggle with it so much myself. Case in point:…
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Becoming A “Camino Catholic”
By Steve on April 25, 2015
There is a great moment in the recent World War 2 movie Monument Men where Hugh Bonneville (of Downton Abbey fame) attempts to protect a group of Catholic priests and the art in their monastery…