Hopeless Death of Carl Sagan

Jerry Adler writes in Newsweek:

[Carl] Sagan was fascinated by the phenomenon that educated adults, with the wonders of science manifest all around them, ...

Death Is the Only Certainty

Joseph Bayly, delightful personal friend now in heaven, was flying from Chicago to the city of Los Angeles. He engaged the woman sitting next to him in ...

Healing Requires Openness

Self-devastated people are often initially quiet; it hurts too much to air the sordid details. But healing cannot come without it.

The Despair of William Cowper

William Cowper (1731-1800)

Despite recurring mental illness, he wrote hymns on God's providence.

William Cowper's poetic achievements are remarkable ...

Eeyores in the Congregation

Many of us think fondly of that dismal, old grey donkey Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh children's books by A.A. Milne. While lovable and secretly goodhearted, ...

Pessimists and Idealists

Every age suffers its pessimists; every age needs its idealists.

The Company of the Discouraged

The company of the discouraged is a very noble company. Not too long ago, the Hayden Planetarium in New York City issued an invitation to all those who ...

A Pessimistic Compliment

Donn Moomaw is sort of a larger-than-life person, so he has a lot of larger-than-life stories that are really funny. This is true. When he was preaching ...

Resignation and Acceptance

"Resignation is surrender to fate; acceptance is surrender to God," says Elizabeth Elliot. "Resignation lies down quietly in an empty universe. ...

Trying It Again

If your beliefs and behavior are initially misunderstood, don't cave in to popular opinion. Hang in there and watch God reward your persistence.

Acclaimed ...