By Norris Burkes July 7 2024 Under a new Louisiana law, every public school from elementary to college will be required to post the Ten Commandments by the end of this year. If Jesus were around today, and I believe he is, I think he’d find the new law reeking with hypocrisy. He’d likely question
By Norris Burkes June 30 2024 If I say “1492,” chances are it’ll bring to mind that old school rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” But now I suspect I’ll remember 1492 in a different light. That’s because last week I flew to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to sharpen 1,492 pencils. You say, “That’s an expensive
By Norris Burkes June 23 2024 In the years I served as a hospital chaplain, I was often asked, “Why don’t you use your position to tell people about Jesus?” The question is much like the one I’m still asked as a syndicated columnist: “Why don’t you use your writing to tell people about Jesus?”
By Norris Burkes June 16 2024 Disneyworld opens a new ride this month to replace the decades-old Splash Mountain attraction. The ride called, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, is promised to California’s Disneyland by end of the year. For me, the ride can never match the magic I felt on my first visit to Disneyland decades ago.
Readers: I’m still on vacation so I’ve asked Dane Dowell to guest-write my column. Dane recently volunteered for Chispa Project. He is a life coach who loves to explore the confluence of spirituality, psychology and culture. He is also the author of an upcoming book, “The Light That Beckons.” Based in Denver, he’s often on adventures
By Norris Burkes June 2 2024 I’m still on a Baltic Sea cruise this week with Holland America. It’s been good sailing, but I carry motion sickness medication just in case. I wonder if that medication would have helped me some years ago when I went to my doctor hoping for a simple steroid shot
By Norris Burkes May 26, 2024 Today, I’m on the Zuiderdam, a Holland America cruise ship, sailing the Baltic Sea enjoying some amazing food and fun entertainment. But sailing in such luxury over Memorial Day gives me a pang of guilt. I can’t help but wonder how sparse it was for the men and
May 19. 2024 “First, I’m curious as to what kind of church you are running up there?” asked a caller to my church office. His was the kind of question I get lately since returning to the pastor role. Most often, callers are like the young mother of three who told me, “I have three
By Norris Burkes May 12 2024 I have a great trivia question to start Mother’s Day weekend. Do you remember who made famous the catchphrase, “Let’s be careful out there”? If you guessed Michael Conrad playing Sergeant Phil Esterhaus in the TV show “Hill Street Blues” (1981-1987), you’d be half right. Esterhaus, the desk sergeant,
May 5 2024 By Norris Burkes I sometimes receive emails from readers telling me they love my columns so much they read them to their Bible study group. It’s a nice compliment, but on the other hand, I work hard to make this column about spirituality in everyday life, not just Sunday school life. I
By Norris Burkes May 28 2024 Do you know anyone whose last name appropriately describes them? Such names are called an aptronym because their name “aptly” matches their job or personality in a humorous or ironic way. During the years I served as an Air Force chaplain, I knew a few chaplains fittingly named. For
By Norris Burkes April 21 2024 Whenever I meet fellow veterans, we’ll often engage in some good-natured ribbing. I set up the first joke by announcing that I’m an Air Force vet, which inevitably invokes the response, “Oh, you mean you’re a ‘Chair Force’ vet.” I understand that nickname because Air Force members occupy a
