Is America Possible?
Editor’s note: This essay was written and originally published in 2007. It is reprinted here with permission. Some years ago, I came across one of the most intriguing book titles that I have ever seen....
View ArticleThe Means of Justice Must Match Its Ends
The last few weeks since Trump’s election have been more than a shock. They’ve been an assault, a trauma. Quickly, we have had to abandon any delusion that things would be OK. Looking at the people who...
View ArticleDave Chappelle & Muslims as Healers in America
It’s time to acknowledge, celebrate, and support the role of American Muslims as healers in America. This is a role Muslims have been playing in this country long before the prospects of a Trump...
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We Can’t Move Forward Without Looking Back
“To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” So says Buddha. Which is a fitting way for me to introduce you to Louise, my 78-year-old...
View ArticleIs the American Promise Jeopardized by the Muslim Ban?
I am a teacher. Teaching is what I do. It’s tied to my core belief that knowledge is more powerful than ignorance, that light is more beautiful than darkness, and love more divine than hatred. This is...
View ArticleThe Painful and Liberating Practice of Facing My Own Racism
I want to get A’s. Even as an adult, over a decade out of any formal schooling, I realize that I sometimes walk through the world looking for a gold star. I subconsciously ask myself: Am I good mother?...
View ArticleThree Tensions at the Heart of Fighting Racism as a White Person
Over the past few months, a group of friends and I — three of us white, one black — planned a panel for the beloved Bioneers Conference on how white people, women in particular, can wake up and fight...
View ArticleWe Can Do Better Than “Not All Men”
There are lots of men watching in baffled fascination as the list of male celebrities who have been exposed for their vile history of sexual harassment grows. Quite a few of them are responding with...
View ArticleThe Wisdom of Saying “I Don’t Know”
I was recently reading a book about a medieval saint. Every day, people came to ask the saint questions about life, the world, faith, the heart, the path, politics, and more. One person came and asked...
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What Do We Know of Genuine Apology and Deep Healing?
As I’ve borne witness to the #metoo movement these past few months, I’ve been wondering a lot about healing. This great wave of truth telling and accountability is rolling through a wide variety of...
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