As the Republican Party tries to make up its mind between wishing away the events of Jan. 6 or celebrating them, one thing should be clear to conservatives estranged from the party: We can’t go home again.

Imagine for a moment that you bought a house in a suburban neighborhood. You have a fairly good-sized house with many rooms, a comfy den and a big kitchen for you and your family.

One day, someone enters your house through a window. You don’t know this person at all. They just came in through the window. You wonder how they got in…

In the early 90s, I attended a large Baptist church in Washington, DC. The church, as it was constituted back then, was an odd mix, or at least it would be odd today. Evangelicals and liberals somehow worshipped together, alongside a healthy dose of members from Latin America and Asia.

The church decided to call a pastor to join the multi-pastor staff. The person chosen was a woman with great pastoral care skills and an all-around good candidate. But there was a catch. …

I was on a bus heading towards downtown Minneapolis for work while listening to the news on my radio. As the bus neared the University of Minnesota, there was breaking news about a small plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. My mind went back to something I remembered from history; when a B-25 crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. By the time I was near work, the second plane hit. Now I knew something was up. The rest of the day was filled with trying to work and listening to National Public Radio about…

“THE MULTITUDES remained plunged in ignorance… and their leaders, seeking their votes, did not dare to undeceive them.”

Those are the words of Winston Churchill from his book “The Gathering Storm,” which talks about the growing threat of Nazi Germany. Historian Niall Ferguson shares this quote from the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom because it parallels with America following the Afghan pullout. Ferguson notes that Britain between the wars was tired. It fought in World War One, a financial crisis and the 1918–19 flu pandemic. On top of this the collective security created after World War I started…

I arrive at church sometime after 9 am on Sunday morning. The service starts at 10 am. That gives me enough time to set up the sanctuary for this morning’s service. As I’m getting ready, I start to wonder if anyone will actually make it to worship. I am reminded of the song, “Elenor Rigby” by the Beatles. The second verse talks about Father McKenzie writing a sermon that “no one will hear.” I usually have my sermon written up, but I wonder: who will hear my sermon? Will I be preaching to an empty sanctuary? Will anyone be watching…

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I’ve had a strange obsession over the last decade or so and that following the story of the downfall of Sears and Kmart.

What’s that, you say? You already know the story? Let me guess, you think Amazon ate Sears’ lunch because it failed to keep up with the times, right?

Now you wouldn’t be totally wrong in believing that is the reason that Sears is nearly defunct. But that’s the public story-the one people hear from the media. …

I’m not going to pretend that I’m an expert on Afghanistan. Unlike my friend, Andrew Donaldson, I’m not a veteran. I don’t have a military or foreign policy background. I’m just someone that has an interest in the news of the world. So what I’m about to say I hope is presented with some humility, because I don’t know everything.

As I follow what’s been going on as the US ends its mission in Afghanistan, the thought that comes to mind is this: a just war is better than an unjust peace. There are times that it makes sense to…

For over a century, Sears was one of this nation’s leading retailers. In the 1920s, you could literally buy a house from Sears. The postwar years saw Sears moving into malls across the land. KMart started in 1962, the same year two other discount retailers, Target and Walmart opened their doors. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, KMart was the go-to place for finding things at a good price. Shoppers were on the lookout for their famous blue light specials. In 2005 Sears and Kmart merged to create Sears Holdings.

But then something happened. Over the last decade, hundreds of stores…