By Norris Burkes Jan 23 2020 I am a professionally employed chaplain. I’m schooled, ordained and certified. I’ve even been to war. But last week, I attended three funerals that reminded me how I can feel as helpless as anyone when trying to comfort a heartbroken friend. The first funeral was for Joe Feld, a
By Norris Burkes Jan 17 2020 During my adolescent years, I rarely introduced myself with verbal clarity. My soft introductions were hard to hear and communicated more doubt than any kind of confident identity. I’d try to tell people that my name was Norris, but they’d often respond with a one-word question. “What?” If I
By Norris Burkes Jan 10 2019 Ten years ago, I wrote a column that probably cost me more readers than any column I’ve written during my 18 years as a spirituality columnist. “What could you have possibly said?” you ask as my editors gulp hard air. I came out against hate speech and gave examples
By Norris Burkes Jan 3 2020 By the time you read this, I’ll be home from New Orleans where – hopefully – I’ve watched my alma mater, Baylor University, beat the stuffing out of the Georgia Bulldogs at the New Year’s Day Sugar Bowl game. But now that the season is over, I have a
