Category: Uncategorized

Thoughts

Today I was reading an interesting study in Nature, “Moralistic gods, supernatural punishment and the expansion of human sociality” by Purzycki et al, which explored prosociality and religion. The researchers’ hypothesis is that “cognitive representations of gods as increasingly knowledgeable and punitive, and who sanction violators of interpersonal social norms, foster and sustain the expansion of cooperation, trust and […]

God’s Plan

Drake, the hip-hop mogul and rapper of global fame, came out with a single entitled “God’s Plan” a few weeks ago. To be completely honest, I think the song is actually really good. The beat, like much of Drake’s work, is danceable and inventively suave. The lyrics resemble his thoughts on how through adversity he […]

Sermons on Sunday Mornings

The Sunday Morning sermon study is a thing of beauty. For the last two weeks, the conversation has flowed spontaneously with theological insight, moral questioning, and ethical dilemma. Deep questions such as, “Is it sinful to think a sinful action, or is it only sinful to carry out that action?” and “What is freedom?” are […]

In the Beginning…

Last Thursday, I was tasked with reading Genesis for my English class. The class deals with major works and authors including the likes of Virgil and Homer, and yes the Bible too. I bought the required King James Version Bible to study and write in throughout the semester so I wouldn’t mark up my third grade […]

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I got a little bit excited just typing out that title and thinking about my father’s impeccable Andy Williams impersonation. According to the massive evergreen in Quincy Market, the holiday season has officially arrived. But, as the daily devotion in my inbox and my daunting finals schedule have reminded me, it’s not quite Christmas yet. […]

The Future of the United Methodist Church

What is to become of the United Methodist Church? This is a question I have been grappling with for the last year or so. What is my role in a denomination in turmoil? What is the answer to a complicated divide over homosexuality? How will young adults like myself, raised, educated, and formed in the […]

Side Effects

This week I’ve been frazzled. This post is currently the eigth tab open on my Chrome browser, but on Monday there were four or five others. Earlier this week, I walked into class and a friend of mine diagnosed me with stage 4 Senioritis, a condition common among late-term college students. Sure, it makes homework […]

The End of the Baseball Season

Unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox fell to the Houston Astros last night in the fourth game of the ALDS. The end of a season. A year’s worth of work, sweat, dedication, and hopes dashed with one last out. I have a similar feeling about school at this point. Sometimes I put in copious amounts of […]

The Black Church

I do not think I will ever leave the black church. It is where I found my love of God and myself honestly.  Three years at Marsh and the first year at Marsh challenged me in ways I could not imagine. I was challenged by the stillness of the service and how much time there […]

Can’t Change the World Unless We Change Ourselves

The one thing I want to do with my life is make for certain that it is a much better place when I leave it than it was when I was breathed into it. It sounds a bit cheesy, but I want to save the world. I want to be the change I wish to […]