intramuralist ™

While it’s something we strive for, it doesn’t always happen here. Sometimes we’re not great at it. But our desire is to provide ways for people to come together.

I’m not a believer that agreement and coming together are mutually exclusive. It’s the difference between encouraging unity or uniformity. Unity is a longtime, consistent component of wisdom within relationship. Unity means we emphasize a sense of togetherness and harmony, even with differences. Uniformity emphasizes sameness. In a world as big as ours, sameness simply doesn’t make sense to me.

Hence, there’s one development this weekend that grabbed my immediate attention that I thought could indeed be a place where we more easily come together because of a sensitivity to the story. If we make what’s most important, most important, there is great potential for unity. Let’s talk about DJ Daniel.

DJ, also known as Devarjaye, is the 13 year old boy singled out in the nation’s most recent State of the Union address, in which his father Theodis hoisted him up, and the young boy was sworn in as an official agent of the United States Secret Service. DJ dreams of becoming a  police officer, so as the moment was happening, there was first a look of shock; his eyes were huge. And then in perhaps the most beautiful, unscripted moment, DJ spontaneously hugs the Service Director. No politics mattered to me at the moment. That kid just had the night of his life.

Part of DJ’s story is that he had cancer. In 2018, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and given 5 months to live; it was thought to be incurable. That’s much of what made the March moment so meaningful.

A few days ago, DJ’s dad announced that three new tumors have been discovered. His prognosis is not good. Said Theodis, “It’s rough, there isn’t a class that can teach you how to deal with it. You’re hearing that your child has a nasty disease.”

No class. Just life. And learning how to navigate the hard.

Heartbreaking, indeed.

DJ has undergone 13 brain surgeries in his short-lived 13 years. He has what’s termed anaplastic ependymoma. While there is always hope, there is no current known cure.

I’m fascinated, though, with the young man’s response in the wake of the heartache.

Said DJ previously, “I’m gonna keep on going until my gas tank runs out. And that’s when God calls you home. You never know when God’s gonna call you home.”

And his message to other kids with cancer: “Have faith, believe in God, and listen to your parents.”

There is something inside of DJ that I want to know more. There’s just this combination of resilience, faith and fight that is so good and right and true. He possesses a positivity within him that he would have every understandable right to let go… to be angry, distressed and emotionally paralyzed.

And yet he’s not.

Oft these days it seems we speak of a world “short of heroes,” a society in which we long for leaders and individuals who embody courage, selflessness, and the ability to inspire positive change.

Maybe DJ is an unlikely hero. He’s only 13. And yet, he embodies all of the above.

Godspeed, DJ Daniel. We wish you well. We pray for you and your family, too. Thank you for your contagious, authentic example. Thank you for helping us keep what’s most important, most important.

Blessings…

AR

With the class of 2025 graduating tomorrow, there seems to be significantly more attention than typical this spring at Harvard… albeit not on the actual commencement in Cambridge. Allow us to respectfully unpack the issue…

As the nation witnessed, between 2023 and 2024, antisemitic incidents on college campuses increased by 84%. According to CNN, most of these incidents were classified as harassment and second most were acts of vandalism toward Jewish people or people perceived to be Jewish. Many of these incidents occurred between mid-April and mid-May 2024 in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Two months after the Israel-Hamas war began, three Ivy League college presidents testified before Congress in regard to the protests. One was from Harvard, although none of the three seemed to fare very well; granted, it was at the height of the intensity on the issue. Yet when the then-president of Harvard was asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate Harvard’s rules against bullying and harassment, Claudine Gay said, “It can be, depending on the context.” 

Gay would later apologize, but the damage was done, and such became one large factor that ultimately led to her resignation. There was simply great thought across the country that the nation’s oldest university wasn’t taking antisemitism seriously enough. 

Enter Pres. Trump, not one to seemingly shy away from a fight, who upon return to the Oval Office, called for a crackdown on antisemitism, even signing an executive order nine days in, directing tougher enforcement.

Because there is absolutely no place for antisemitism, invoking sterner measures is understandable. What gives me pause, however, is I’m not convinced the end justifies the means — something I oft question with this administration and more. Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, a conservative but not a Trump supporter, said it well, in my opinion:

“Perhaps the most frustrating thing about being a conservative critic of Trumpism is that you often start by agreeing with Trumpworld about ends while disagreeing about means.

This pleases nobody. The left, broadly speaking, considers the ends as illegitimate as the means, and the pro-Trump right thinks that if you’re against the means you really don’t desire the ends. I’m against the abuse of power, even for my own ‘side.’

…  consider Harvard. If you read its own report on antisemitism at the university, it’s hard to disagree with many of the administration’s criticisms. Harvard has been intolerant of internal dissent, and its educational philosophy has been absurdly left-wing. For instance, a mandatory class for students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education deployed a grotesque chart titled ‘The Pyramid of White Supremacy’ equating free trade agreements with ‘slavery’ and ‘colorblindness’ with ‘racial profiling.’ (See Page 150 of the antisemitism report; the graphic is no longer in use.) It suggests that the Anti-Defamation League is engaging in ‘coded’ rhetoric for ‘genocide.’ Meanwhile, the Harvard Law Review seems to be practicing flat-out racial discrimination.

But as Charles Lane of The Free Press recently put it, ‘Harvard had it coming. That doesn’t mean Trump is right.’ The Trump administration has frozen funding and ended new research grants to Harvard unless it adopts recommended reforms, and the president wants to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status. These are draconian ‘remedies,’ raising a host of different ethical, prudential, legal, policy and constitutional issues. Suffice it to say, I think defunding cancer research to own the [liberals] seems like overkill. Removing Harvard’s tax-exempt status is probably illegal. But even if it’s not, it’s insane to do it via executive order and would set a precedent conservatives will rue.”

Harvard has rejected the administration’s reforms and demands; the situation thus continues to  escalate. “Team Trump? Or Team Harvard?” coined The Free Press. To call it messy is an understatement, with errors in wisdom on all sides. The Trump admin is now attempting to bar the school from enrolling international students, a demographic that accounts for 27% of their student population. A judge responded by blocking the move.

Again, it’s messy. As Oliver Wiseman writes for The Free Press, “How did institutions come to stray so far from the values they were founded on? How much, in a liberal democracy, should the federal government interfere to try to fix those institutions? And is the current president actually interested in repairing what is broken—or just attacking his perceived enemies?”

Those are excellent questions. I wish we could tell.

I also wish we were better at solving problems. Too much gets in the way… even at commencement.

Respectfully…

AR

An annual, important message…

Dear Graduate,

Now that you are formally entering adulthood, allow us to address a few more brief truths as you take these next few, albeit humongous steps…

First, there is that time for everything — every activity under heaven, every season under the sun. The reality is you will not enjoy nor desire each of these times. But one of the quiet truths in life is that how you respond to circumstance is typically more important than the circumstance itself. Such is a key to wisdom. Seek after wisdom. Always.

Remember that you have a choice in how to react; too many forget that. Instead of intentionally weighing the wisdom, they become self-focused or demanding. Resist that. Learn the difference between enjoy and embrace. When the time comes to tear down or turn away, embrace the time; when the time comes to grieve, grieve… dance, dance. Maybe even dance a lot. But remember than learning from the experience is more important than becoming self-focused and demanding. The wise one learns and grows from each season, even embracing that which is hard.

Second — and don’t let me shock you — but contrary to perhaps your long-held belief (or some fictional, parenting mantra) — you cannot be whatever you want to be. I’m sorry; remember… we are wrestling with reality. Similar to the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and jolly old St. Nick, there are a few things we’ve told you for some reason, that aren’t actually true. 

It is true that you cannot be whatever or whoever you want to be. Also true is that you are not entitled to any of those desired positions. However, you can be something better. You can be all that God created you to be. Embrace your gifts. Utilize the individual, unique wiring within you — the wiring that makes you distinctly and beautifully, uniquely you! Don’t compare yourself to another, falling prey to society’s hollow teaching that another person’s wiring or set up is somehow better or worse than your own. Simply embrace your strengths and grow from your own weaknesses. Quit attempting to cover them up. Seek God first; seek his intention for your life. Then be who he created you to be.

And third, our brief rapid fire of encouragement… 

Love deeply. Offer grace generously. Never view grace and truth as opposites, as each can be applied in full measure. Always. Wash your sheets — at least before you have company. Don’t be selfish. Be slow to anger. Be fast to forgive. Be humble. Forgive again. And again and again. See the wisdom in forgiveness. Recognize that sometimes intelligence gets in the way. Don’t be bitter; you will be the only one harmed in the long run. Eat healthy. Know when to not. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, as well. Separate the reds from the whites. Be charitable. Be noble. Save some; spend some; give some away. Don’t be afraid of sorrow. Recognize that you can feel sorrow and joy both at the same time. Turn off the XBOX. Sometimes. Value other people. Be sharpened by their differences. Chew with your mouth closed. Don’t ever think of equality with God as something to be grasped. Listen to the elderly; invest in the young. Bow and curtsy when appropriate. Open the door. Show respect — in what you say and how you think. Remember that respect does not mean accepting all as equally good and true. Know that all things are not equally good and true. Know when to be loud — when to be silent. Look another in the eye. Put the phone down. Use your napkin. Be discerning. Be aware that just because something feels good, it doesn’t mean it’s wise. Be prayerful. Figure the faith thing out; know that another can’t do it for you. And embrace each and every season shared above… the time to laugh… the time to cry… the time to grieve… and yes, that time to dance.

There is a time for everything. God has made everything beautiful for its own time. 

Congrats, grads…

AR

We’ve seen the scolding dissent in the media and on socials alike. It goes something like this… 

“Democracy is in danger. There’s a constitutional crisis. If you’re silent, you’re complicit. Wisen up. Get your head out of the sand. You need to pay attention. You don’t really understand what’s happening. Who’s really running the country?! Don’t you care? Are you that blind? It’s time to protest. Time to fight. Resist! The time is now.”

And that’s all about Donald Trump being elected as the 47th President of the United States. Many have deep, sincere concerns.

Before we continue, allow me to reiterate what’s been previously articulated. The Intramuralist is not a Trump, Joe Biden nor  Kamala Harris fan. I simply believe there are far more people who would better serve as president. 

With Trump, no less, elected once more, there exists a very vocal cluster of critics who assume any who do not match the intensity of their perspective is severely misguided. There exists another large cluster in response, who tune those talkers out. Today I’d like to respectfully address one of the most obvious reasons for the intentional tuning out.

For multiple years it has been evident that Biden has experienced some sort of significant physical and mental decline. While in office, not always but frequently, he spoke incoherently, wandered aloofly, and ambled awkwardly. No advanced medical knowledge was necessary to discern the decline. As a public, we were lied to; perhaps a better term is “gaslit.” To gaslight means to attempt to deceive through the repetition of an intentionally crafted false narrative. We were told we didn’t see what we saw. We were told our objective observations were wrong. I’m reminded personally of one of the first to dispute my initial, respectful question of competence. “It’s a stutter, AR,” as if that was somehow all it was.

The reason we speak of this today is because the issue has been reignited, now becoming a national conversation due to two primary, recent publishings…

First, last week Axios published leaked audio from Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with Biden from the fall of 2023. The New York Times said, “It confirms what many suspected,” acknowledging Biden’s confusion and lack of coherence. And from The Free Press, “It was as bad as you feared.”

And second, yesterday was the release of “The Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” The book has become, again according to The Free Press, “the talk of Washington.” Written by CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson — with Tapper playing a debated role in the cover up — this is, as Politico reported, “the book Biden allies fear the most.” Multiple powerful people and pundits covered up Biden’s decline and lied to the American people because they didn’t want Donald Trump to be elected. 

Let us be sensitive to Biden’s recent, publicly shared, cancer diagnosis. We are committed to respect; we also will not ignore reality. Being kind to a president who has cancer and acknowledging the corporeality of his decline are not in competition with one another. The current conversation, too, is less about Biden than it is about all those who lied on his behalf.

This conversation is vital because each of our presidents needs to be held accountable, a role both parties actively, necessarily, partake in. I wish each did a better, honest, objective, nonpartisan job. Yet the reason so many are not paying attention to the warnings Trump critics deliver now is because so many of today’s critics were silent about Biden. The reason so many tune out the the idea of a current constitutional crisis is because if Biden was cognitively impaired, it was a crisis then. The reason, too, so many don’t respond with like intensity about an unelected person having a pivotal role in the White House, is because if Biden was unfit, someone other than the elected president had a pivotal role then.

The challenge embedded in the silence of politicians, pundits and a sympathetic media is that they made it harder to hold the current president accountable. Let me be clear: Pres. Trump needs to be held accountable. Yet the refusal to acknowledge Biden’s decline by those who were silent then, pierces the credibility of those who cast aspersions on him now. They have thus done all of us a disservice, no matter who we voted for or of whom we are a fan.

One last bit of constructive feedback to the Trump critics, as I sincerely believe they have something worthy to be shared: in order for others to actually listen to their concerns, it would be prudent to first acknowledge Biden’s decline and why they could not see it, chose not to believe it, or refused to discuss it publicly. Acknowledgment builds credibility, and we need credibility to hold absolutely every president accountable.

Respectfully…

AR

We’re only a little more than halfway through the month. What is the media asking? 

To be clear, not all media sources are good at said act of inquiry, as typically a question encourages us to think as opposed to tells us what to think. There’s a difference. Here’s the first 75 we’ve seen thus far…

1. Are Media Pollsters Incompetent or Deceitful?
2. Biden still thinks he could have beaten Trump. Do we really need this?
3. Biden’s Wheelchair?
4. Birthright citizenship reaches the Supreme Court. What’s at stake?
5. Can Farage Keep Winning, All the Way to Downing Street?
6. Can Hakeem Jeffries Break Through?
7. Can Trump Secure a New Iran Deal?
8. Can You Replace Steph Curry?
9. China Deal Is Better Than Expected. Will Critics Admit It?
10. Could Trump’s $5K ‘Baby Bonus’ Idea Reverse America’s Declining Birth Rate?
11. COVID-19: Did the Experts Get It Right?
12. Did Donald Trump — or ABC News — choose who would interview the president? Why does it matter?
13. Did our politics fail us during Covid?
14. Did Donald Trump Lose China Trade War?
15. Does Shedeur Sanders’ draft position lower NFL expectations?
16. Harris 2028?
17. Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning?
18. Hogg Out at DNC?
19. How Can You Be a Cop in a City That Hates You?
20. How Did So Many Elected Dems Miss Biden’s Infirmity?
21. How good are the Indiana Pacers?
22. How Will Pope Leo XIV Lead?
23. Is California Finally Ready to Try Compassion?
24. Is Harvard Complying With the Tax Code?
25. Is It Time for Unions To Rethink Everything?
26. Is Jeff Bezos Selling Out the Washington Post?
27. Is There a Strategy Behind Trump’s Trade Deals?
28. Is There More to Fetterman Story?
29. Is Trump Breaking the Law?
30. Is Trump Endangering His Past Middle East Successes?
31. Joe Biden Agrees To Do ‘The View’ This Week, But Why?
32. John Fetterman: Politically Inconvenient or Unfit to Serve?
33. McMahon: Last Secretary of Education in History?
34. NBA Draft lottery: Who has the best chance for the No. 1 pick?
35. Oh, Canada, you do know you’re taking advantage of the US, right?
36. Out of work and on the dole — is Uncle Sam contributing to young men’s malaise?
37. Private Equity and Hospitals: Have They Finally Gone Too Far?
38. Should Pete Rose get into the Hall of Fame?
39. The tariffs are here. Inflation isn’t. What gives?
40. The US and China are finally talking. Why now?
41. The U.S. Provides $4 Billion a Year to Israel. Is That a Bad Thing?
42. Trump China tariff truce ignites stock markets – will it also pump up president’s poll numbers?
43. Trump Economy Too Good To Ignore?
44. Trump says he wants to reopen Alcatraz. What is it? Why did the prison close?
45. Trump’s Tattoo Fantasy Raises the Question: If He Were Senile, How Would We Know?
46. We Know How To Fix Government – Will We?
47. What If We’d Treated Einstein Like ICE Is Treating This Brilliant Harvard Scientist?
48. What is behind the new Pope’s chosen name, Leo?
49. What Exactly Is Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission—and Why Have Some Experts Raised Concerns?
50. What Is Habeas Corpus and How Is It Under Threat By the Trump Administration?
51. What tariffs has Trump announced and why?
52. What’s in Trump and Republicans’ giant tax and immigration bill?
53. What’s in Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill?
54. Whatever Happened to the Power Elite?
55. Which Generations Will Decide New York’s Mayoral Race?
56. White Smoke Signals a Pope Has Been Chosen. What Happens Next?
57. Who Is Dr. Casey Means?
58. Who Is Helped By the Sanctions Against China?
59. Who is Robert Prevost?
60. Who was ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson?
61. Who’s To Blame For The Left’s ‘Assassination Culture’?
62. Why are Republicans so obsessed with such a small percentage of people?
63. Why Do More Police Officers Die by Suicide Than in the Line of Duty?
64. Why Is US High-Speed Rail Taking So Long?
65. Why were India and Pakistan on the brink of war?
66. Will Congress Finally Defund Planned Parenthood?
67. Will Democrats Keep Defending Sanctuary Cities?
68. Will Harris Run in CA?
69. Will Mormons Save the Great Salt Lake?
70. Will Newsom Listen to CA’s Call for Public Safety?
71. Will the Creative Class Go MAGA?
72. Will the First American Pope Be a Pontiff of Peace?
73. Will the first American pope stand up to Trump?
74. Would the Left Finally Explain the Inexplicable?
75. Would Work Requirements Cut Medicaid Costs?

We’ll keep asking… hopefully answering some, too.

Respectfully…

AR

[Note: Sources include but are not limited to the following: All Sides, American Greatness, Associated Press, The Athletic, BBC, CBS News, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, CNN,The Daily Signal, Deseret News, The Dispatch, ESPN, Financial Times, FOX News, The Free Press, Grind City Media, The Guardian, The Hill, Issues & Insights, MediaPost, The Nation, The New Republic, New York Post, New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsweek, NY Magazine, Vox, Pew Research Center, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Politico, Project Syndicate, Racket News, Rasmussen Reports, RealClearPolitics, Reason, Reuters, Sacramento Bee, US News & World Report, USA Today, Time, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.]

Five years ago, I penned an unedited version of the following. I didn’t necessarily have the intention of re-posting, but when I came across it recently, I felt like it was such a good reminder for me and many  —  the encouragement to see the beautiful in places where we previously could not…

* * * * *

A little over 18 years ago, I felt like I got burned. Here I was, our third son had just been born, and within an hour, the very intelligent but awful-beside-mannered geneticist was in our room, suggesting this must be “the saddest day of your whole life.”

There’s something within me, hearing those words once more, that makes me want to fight  — not giving another the power to declare for bad or sad what God has allowed to play out for good. It wasn’t that the day wasn’t hard, sad or some other semi-well-intentioned adjective. It just wasn’t an accurate way to characterize what the day actually was.

There’s something about having a child born with a disability that’s humbling from the onset. There’s this big pit in the stomach and gulp in the throat that parents who share the experience can immediately recognize in one another, just looking them the eye. It’s a little of the unthinkable… unplanned and shocking, too… what just happened? … how do I do this?… what are we supposed to do now?…

And just like that, you have to throw your plans and expectations right out the nearest window.

For Josh, it was trisomy 21 — Down syndrome — or a third copy of that twenty-first chromosome. Additionally, he had an atrioventricular (AV) canal defect, meaning there was a hole between his heart’s chambers and the valves that allow the blood to flow — an unsurvivable condition unless fixed in the early months of life.

Also for Josh, he got sick before then with a nasty respiratory virus (aka RSV). As documented here, we spent most of the month of March of 2002 in the cardiac ICU wing at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Joshua was on a respirator most of that time, unable to breathe on his own, with many moments terrifyingly touch and go.

But once the shock wears off and the medical issues are for the most part dealt with, then comes real life. Real life for the parents of children with special needs means changing your expectations, loving them just like any other kid, preparing them for adulthood, focusing more on what they will teach you as opposed to what you will teach them.

I can remember thinking at some point in those early years… “Yeah, fine… this is all well and good and true. He’s kind of cute right now. And everyone always talks about how loving kids with Down’s are. But what about when he’s not so little any more? What about when he’s all grown up, puberty’s past, and maybe not so cute? “

If I’m honest, I admit, that future day scared me.

Friends, today is that day. Today, Josh finishes his last day of high school.

And it’s a little crazy. I mean, with the spring of 2020 being nothing like how we thought the spring was going to be, the reality is that the story of my life is nothing like I thought it was going to be. But what’s crazy? 

It’s better.

I have learned more. Grown more. Been tugged and stretched and maybe cried more. Learning more about who God is and who I am in relation to him. But it has never been anywhere close to the so-called saddest day.

Four days ago, in fact, I was standing in my kitchen, so proud of myself for making a homemade, pretty gourmet-ish sauce. As the container I was holding slipped out of my hand, I instinctively brought my non-oven-mitt-covered hand over to catch the falling container. I instantly, painfully burned a good two-and-a-half by four inch section of my left wrist; it was nothing short of awful.  Just yesterday, no less, I looked down at my still sore, probably-now-scarred arm and noticed something new…

In the middle of the charred skin, there is a well-defined, small shape. Clearly, there is a heart, smack dab in the middle of my wound. Yes, I was wearing a thin bracelet with a small heart charm. With burning hot sauce caught on the charm but the bracelet not immediately removed, the charm essentially served as a branding device on my wrist. But what was so unpredictable, was that it was only when I was willing to look past the burn and the pain — which still exist — could I finally see the beautiful. Now, that is all I see.

What a glorious day today is… It is beautiful indeed.

Joyfully…

AR

Yes, it’s true. I am glued to my television every time there’s a conclave or the election of a new pope. It’s also true that I am not Catholic; however, I have deep respect for the Catholic Church  and find the process of selecting a new leader fascinating…

“Eligo in Summum Pontificem” — or “I elect as Supreme Pontiff”.

Those are the words printed on the top half of the rectangular ballot that each of the 133 cardinal electors had in their hands earlier this week. The bottom half was blank, leaving space for each of the electorate to write in the name of their desired candidate.

When a candidate receives at least 89 votes — or a two-thirds majority — he is elected as the new pope. This week, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was chosen as the 267th Bishop of Rome. He is now to be known as Pope Leo XIV. Before we continue, no less, a few more facts add insight into this new, global leader…

• He was born in Chicago to a father of French and Italian descent and to a mother of Spanish descent.
• He has two brothers; he is the youngest of the three.
• He served as yearbook editor-in-chief in high school.
• He graduated from Villanova with a degree in math.
• He is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Peru.
• He is known as “Bob” or “Rob” to friends.
• He received his MDiv from a seminary in Chicago.
• He is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and can read Latin and German.
• He’s an amateur tennis player.
• And he does the daily “Wordle.”

One of the things that fascinates me in current day is the race to define the new pope. Not to define him by his nationality nor even the baseball team he roots for. (Note: we’ve already seen claims clamoring for loyalty to both the Cubs and the White Sox.) But rather, there seems a very intentional race to define the pope politically…

Is he liberal? Is he conservative? Is he a centrist? What policies is he passionate about?

Outlets on the left and the right have immediately attempted to frame expressions from then Cardinal Robert Prevost to paint a picture of a current pope who aligns with their political beliefs.

And just like that, they all miss the point. 

While technically the head of both Church and state — there is no separation as the Vatican is its own city-state — the primary role of the Pope is to pastor the Catholic Church, guiding its global community of approximately 1.3 billion people. He shepherds his people, encouraging them to grow in their faith.

Let us be clear. Members of the Catholic Church are followers of Jesus Christ. They love and serve a triune God — meaning Father, Son and Holy Spirit — Jesus being the son of God made man. The core beliefs of their faith are that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and is the only person on this planet to be resurrected, as all sorts of witnesses saw him, a truth that can’t be ignored and changes us today. They teach, too, consistent with the historic scriptures, that Jesus is absolutely coming to Earth again. Certain disciplines and practices are deeply important, as ways to honor God and authentically connect with him; these include communion, confession, prayer and more. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of God; it’s a vital source of knowledge, guidance, and further connection with God. They teach obedience. They teach paying attention to the Holy Spirit and being obedient to his prompting. The Church encourages growth in one’s faith, recognizing that faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. The bottom line is that the Catholic Church encourages fellow followers of Jesus to find meaning and purpose in life by having a relationship with God, reflecting his unrivaled values of compassion and love.

Again, while personally I am a very imperfect follower of Jesus, I am not Catholic. But I deeply respect the Catholic Church.

And it’s so clear to me that any attempt to frame Bob/Rob/Pope Leo XIV as politically aligned, pales in comparison to what he’s actually called to do.

Respectfully…

AR

There’s indeed been some wild trials as of late. Allow us to briefly identify a few legal cases prior to today’s primary point…

First, from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, a small town located on Boston’s southwestern border…

Karen Read is on trial for the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was found dead in the snow outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts. Read is accused of intentionally striking O’Keefe with her SUV after a night of drinking, and then leaving him there to die in the freezing cold. She faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Her first trial in 2024 ended in a hung jury, and a retrial began last month. Note that some of the evidence is indeed contentious (and societally noteworthy), including a Google search regarding “how long to die in cold” and when exactly it was made that night. Was it genuine concern or a dreadful conspiracy?

Next from New York City and the New York Court of Appeals…

The retrial of Harvey Weinstein has begun. With his 2020 conviction overturned, the court is hearing new charges against the previously highly successful American film producer. He is charged with multiple rape and other sex crimes. Over 100 women have accused Weinstein of being sexually harassed or assaulted, many who are well know actresses. What makes Weinstein’s case seemingly significant is that he socialized with many Hollywood A-listers and politicians, particularly within the Democratic Party. Most have denounced him; he has also denied all charges. Significant also in this retrial is that the cultural moment has shifted since his conviction, with the #metoo movement having evolved from its original momentum and zeal.

And lastly, from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London…

Attempting to overturn a 2020 decision by the UK government, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, lost a legal challenge denying him automatic, taxpayer-funded protection. His security was downgraded after he made the decision to stop being a working royal and moved to the US. (Apparently, he wanted to keep a few things.) Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos ruled that while Harry’s safety concerns were both “powerful and moving,” Harry’s “sense of grievance” did not “translate into a legal argument.” In response, the former royal gave a reportedly surprise, lengthy interview to the BBC, in which he said he was “devastated” after losing the decision.

One of the things I oft find interesting is how we as a public react to prominent trials and legal scenarios. The bottom line is this: we have an opinion.

How profound, right?

… O.J. Simpson… Casey Anthony… Derek Chauvin… Bill Cosby… Jussie Smollett… Martha Stewart… Donald Trump… Bill Clinton… the guilty and the not… 

We have an opinion. And let us be clear; there is nothing wrong with having an opinion. It is completely ok to think something’s right, wrong or somewhere in between. It’s completely ok to think he/she did it or did not… he/she deserves it or does not.

The challenge within our opinion is the certainty which accompanies our conviction. In other words, the “I know he did it!”… “I know he did not!” And just like that we forget one of the most important realities that the decade of media-and-cameras-everywhere often, so ostentatiously obscures…

We weren’t there.

We weren’t there when the impetus for the legal case happened. Our opinion is based on what other people saw and said. Maybe they have bias. Maybe they have a skewed perspective. Maybe it’s skewed for reasons unknown to them. Maybe some other experience has shaped how they relayed what they saw and said.

Our vantage point is most always limited. Such is wise to remember. It should also impact and alter how we express our opinion.

Respectfully…

AR

As we continue to attempt to wisely and respectfully navigate through a culture full of conversational land mines, often the question arises as to why.

Why the division? Why so polarizing? Why is conversation so hard?

By no means do we have all the answers. Also by no means will we ever think we do.

No doubt social media has fueled the conversation-less rhetoric; it’s easy to sit behind a keyboard and post something without looking another in the eye. No doubt, too, as addressed here recently, did the evolution of Twitter/X play a role, a place where journalists gathered but in the original 140 character limit, it was clear their objectivity was fanciful at best. Then, also, we have the rise of candidates on all sides of the aisle who believe denigration is an appropriate means of communication — and because we like the side of the aisle the wanting leader represents, our emotion muffles our wisdom, prompting us to cheer as opposed to demand better.

But as the division continues and we witness how the public continues to express themselves, there seems a undergirding premise that fuels the tenacious talk. (Note: it’s talk — not conversation; conversation requires an actual exchange of ideas… respectfully, hopefully too, of course.)

The premise thus that we find so fascinating is the number of people and number of us who in our expressions attempt to claim some sort of moral superiority. Let us define the term.

Moral superiority is the belief that one’s actions are justified by having higher moral values than others. It’s the belief that one’s actions and values are more just, ethical and/or right than those of others. They believe that they are clearly, morally superior.

We see it often these days. Haven’t you noticed what’s wrong with everyone else?…

Don’t you see what I see?

Don’t you believe what I believe?

And just like that, everyone who doesn’t think like me is wrong. In fact, we assume that if someone doesn’t think like me, they are simply ignoring an unpleasant reality. 

The challenge is that to conclude that one is morally superior to another, we each have to ignore something… maybe it’s something I have to ignore in me… maybe it’s something I have to ignore in someone on my preferred side of the proverbial partisan aisle… maybe it’s something I’ve chosen to ignore in our current or most recent president… The point is that moral superiority typically only exists if we ignore something significant, something that makes the narrative we wish to present a little less true.

I appreciate much the insight of Stephen Batchelor, said so poignantly yet accurately. Batchelor is a Scottish Buddhist author and teacher, known worldwide. He once said, “The greatest threat to compassion is the temptation to succumb to fantasies of moral superiority.”

Oh, so true.

The belief or attitude of being morally superior kills our compassion for whole segments of people. It makes our content less credible, our voice less valuable, and builds blindspots of which we are grossly unaware. Moral superiority then gives free license to any in the audience to quit listening to the one who presumes he or she is more right.

Friends, let me offer a concluding, personal note…

One of the best things about writing this blog for the last 17 years is that I’ve had opportunity to realize how wrong I can be.

That’s not past tense; it’s an ongoing, current reality.

Democrats, Republicans, all leaners in whatever direction and members of other demographics, allow me to encourage you…

Resist the lure of moral superiority. Maybe then you’ll be more listened to.

Respectfully…

AR

Last weekend was the annual NFL draft — officially known as the “Annual Player Selection Meeting.” While a total of 257 players were picked by the professional football teams, there was one story in particular that seemed to have lessons surpassing the sports world. Such was the case of Shedeur Sanders. Allow us to briefly provide context…

Sanders is 23 years old. He is the most recent winner of the “Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award,” presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback in college football. The award is not solely based on one’s on field ability, but is given to the QB who also “best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement.”

Sanders is the son of Deion Sanders, an outstanding athlete himself in both professional football and baseball, known as “Prime Time.” While the moniker was bestowed by a teammate in high school, it has long lasted, due no doubt to both his flash on the field and oft-articulated faith in oneself. 

Deion is a Christian man. He has openly shared that he became a follower of Jesus Christ in 1998, shortly after his first divorce. While experiencing all sorts of success, it wasn’t enough; it simply wasn’t satisfying. There was no lasting peace. He went from being actually suicidal to surrender, concluding only a relationship with Jesus would allow for that deeply craved by all of us, lasting peace. Said Deion, “Nothing helped me and delivered me and got me to the next day except for Jesus. I mean that was it when I said I surrendered. I gave my life to the Lord. Things began to change slowly but surely over (the) process.” 

Indeed it is a process. And the reality is for all those who “give their life to the Lord,” they remain imperfect. That’s the zillion dollar understanding of the day. So often we look around at those in the church, and we see all this crud. We see people say some awful, hurtful things. They, though, are imperfect, too. And thus they don’t always mirror an accurate reflection of who Jesus is nor how he directed us to treat one another.

I’m no one’s Holy Spirit. And let none of us ever claim to be. But unfortunately, Deion, no doubt fueled by the fierce love a father has for his son, has said some hard things. Allow me to respectfully change the word “hard”… some rather boastful, non-humble things. For example, as Deion has said…

• “Do not allow my confidence to offend your insecurity.”
• “People say there’s no ‘I’ in team. Well, there’s not. But there’s an ‘I’ in win.”
• “Confidence is my natural odor.”

Specifically, too, he spoke about Shedeur, prior to the draft…

• “He will be a top 5 pick.”
• “I know where I want [my son] to go. There’s certain cities where it ain’t going to happen.”
• “There are teams I won’t allow him to play for.”

To be clear, when the season was over, prior to the individual evaluation period, Shedeur was expected to be an early first round pick. And then as the draft played out over last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, no team picked Deion’s son in the first round. Nor in the second or third. Not even the fourth. Thought to be one of the biggest slides ever in the NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders was selected in the fifth round, by a team who had drafted another QB in front of him.

Why the slide? Lots of people have lots of reasons…

Was it collusion by NFL owners and GM’s?… Was it racism, not wanting to hire a confident, bold young black man as some have surmised?… Was it that he really wasn’t that good, and the evaluations were off?…

I have long been a fan of Deion Sanders. No doubt the family faces significantly more scrutiny than most… Was there a perceived lack of humility in both father and son?… Some have suggested the son had more than one interview with an NFL head coach and/or assistant in which he wasn’t prepared nor was he demonstrably humble. The humble part gets my attention.

We don’t know why the slide for Shedeur. I feel for the young man, as no doubt the slide from round 1 to 5 is accompanied by an ample share of embarrassment. 

But what we do know is that football is a team sport. We know that the quarterback is a vocal leader. We also know that humility is one of the most attractive, effective qualities in great leaders. 

With all due respect to the entire Sanders family — one can be confident and humble at the exact same time. Humility will also, always be most attractive.

Respectfully…

AR