Dispelling Darkness: A Christian Paradox

by Kristin Du Mez. Tis the season. Christmas music is everywhere. I’m not a complete Grinch when it comes to Christmas music, but really… “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”? So much wrong with this… I do sing Rudolf and Frosty with my kids, and I actually enjoy listening to my daughter pound out carol after carol …

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Reflections on the recent elections in the United States

by Dan Miller (November 10, 2016) In the wake of Tuesday’s election, I find myself surprisingly exhilarated. It’s not that I wasn’t deeply disappointed in the outcome. Not only did we elect as our next President a man who appears to be wholly unfit for that crucial post, but we rewarded with electoral success a …

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How Donald Trump Ruined My Day and (Almost) Owed Me $15

by Jesse Damsteegt Whatever our political leanings, for many of us the 2016 election season has been stressful and disruptive. But for Calvin student Jesse Damsteegt, the election excitement unfolded at the site of her history internship.  This fall semester, Jesse is interning at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in downtown Grand Rapids, helping …

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More Historical Rhymes and Dissonances

by Bob Schoone-Jongen. The headlines are telling me our next president will be either the shape-shifting incarnation of Satan or a Mussolini from Queens. Boys and girls, can you spell, “Apocalypse of St. John?” My options: stockpile freeze-dried food in the basement, or restore the oxygen balance by breathing deeply into a paper bag. Is …

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Book Note: A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey

by Dan Miller. The roots of the anti-establishment mood that was so visible this year in the US presidential primaries and the Brexit vote in the UK are no doubt many and complex. But a key element is surely the rise of a political economy that allows a tiny international elite to garner unimaginable wealth …

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Nation and Kingdom: A Christian Reflection on the Fourth of July

by Ron Wells. This is written on July 3, 2016 I was raised in a patriotic American home. My immigrant parents, especially my Dad, were very grateful for the opportunity to come to America to achieve a better life for themselves and especially a better future for their children. They became naturalized American citizens as …

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