House vote

Health care reform is actually on the way to becoming the law of the land. Do I think that this is the best possible law? Probably not; I have to really find out more about it. However, it's been clear to me that health care is not working for people... for far too many people in our still-affluent nation.

It does make me think, however. I'm grateful that health care is being expanded so that more people than ever will be covered. I'm grateful as a Christian for this, since Jesus told us again and again - by his words as well as his actions - to care for those most in need. The thing that gives me pause, though, is that this kind of compassionate care for those in need in our society is really the job of the Church, not of our government. We too long have abandoned our responsibilities and left them to the government. That's what gives me pause.

Overall, though, I thank God for what seems to be a long-needed reform of our national health care system.

plans

In just over a month, I'll be starting the first part of my sabbatical this year. I'm looking forward to the people I'll be talking with, and to the ideas that we'll share and develop.

One of the things I decided to do is that I'll be blogging my ideas and conversations all during my sabbatical this year: the short part in April and May, and then my extended time being gone in August (with a week or so on either side of that month).

I'd welcome people's responses and interactions.

A beginning... again

I've had mixed feelings about blogging over the years. There are times I think it's a very neat thing. There are some (a very few) blogs I've followed from time to time, and some of those have been informative and entertaining, occasionally even inspiring and thought-provoking. There are other times when I think it's just an exercise in journaling that probably is best kept in a journal, not posted for anyone to read.

Clearly, though, I'm now coming down on the "public" side of the equation. I began a blog about 4 years ago, and made one whole entry! :-) But I think it's time to try again.

So this is, indeed, "a beginning... again."