By Bill Cork – It will be our fear, the fear we see around us today, that will be our undoing.
THE ARTS: Allegiance: A Tale for Today
By Bill Cork – The musical, “Allegiance” is based internment camp during World War II but the themes are echoed in the 2016 US presidential campaign.
Four Chaplains – The Path of Understanding, Compassion, and Self-Sacrifice
By William Cork – Thirty years ago next month I raised my hand, took the oath of office, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Chaplain Candidate, in the US Army Reserve. That summer, as a student in the Chaplain Officer Basic Course at Fort Monmouth, NJ, I first heard the story of the four chaplains: George Fox, Alexander Goode, Clark Poling, and John Washington. Four men of different faiths, bound by love–love for God, love for their country, love for each other, and love for their soldiers.
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God – What the Anthem of the Reformation Means to Me
By Bill Cork – I have a long history with “A Mighty Fortress.” I fell in love with it as a teenager, when I was first learning about the history of the Protestant Reformation. Like any teenager, I had my doubts, and fears. And this hymn spoke to me of confidence and trust in God–it not only spoke of confidence, it seemed to fill me with confidence as I sang its lyrics.
ANALYSIS: The Apocalyptic struggle between Jefferson’s Wall and the Church
By Bill Cork – EXCERPT: “Let’s be careful that we speak not only of religious liberty, but that we uphold the American tradition of separation of church and state as well. It has served us well. It allows individuals to be guided by their own religious teachings and morals, but it does not give a privileged place to any church. It affirms the freedom of individuals to believe, and to act in accordance with those beliefs, without fear. If that freedom is threatened–and I agree with Stafford that it is–then the solution is not to tear down the wall, but to build it even higher.”