Tag Archives: racism

Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness

Posted on January 19, 2026 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week: Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness “In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Pizza: The World’s Most Perfect Food

Posted on December 9, 2025 by mitchteemley

Why has pizza been called the world’s most perfect food? Because it includes every taste and texture we crave, all in one dish: sweet, savory, chewy, crunchy. Oh yeah, and cheese, tons of cheese. What’s not to love? And yet, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 71 Comments

Becoming Part of a Bigger Family

Posted on April 28, 2025 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week We’re all a little bit racist. And sexist. And ageist. And a dozen other-things-ist. An ist is simply a bias or leaning, either away from or toward something. We lean toward what we know, and away … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 52 Comments

The Most Cringe-Inducing Ads Ever!

Posted on April 4, 2025 by mitchteemley

We live in the Age of Offendability. And yet we can all agree (or at least most of us can) that some things are always wrong: racism, sexism, drug abuse, endangerment of children. So it’s shocking to see how often … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Popular Culture & Entertainment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 65 Comments

The New Death Penalty

Posted on June 17, 2024 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week The death penalty is dying. Even in many American states where it’s still legal, it’s no longer actually practiced. Why? Because too many innocent people have been wrongly executed. And yet… Character assassination is more popular … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Us vs. Them

Posted on May 30, 2024 by mitchteemley

I am perpetually disturbed by the rise of patriotic nationalism worldwide. Powered by the false logic of protecting “our own,” each successive wave crashes down with increasing vehemence on any convenient scapegoat that can be blamed. A popular rallying cry … Continue reading →

Posted in Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

The Content of Our Character

Posted on January 15, 2024 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week The problem with quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lies not in finding meaningful words, but in knowing where to stop! Imagine if he’d lived beyond his brief thirty-nine years — oh, how we need his … Continue reading →

Posted in Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

America Up Close and Personal

Posted on March 14, 2023 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir From the Big Orange to the Big Apple! It’s still the longest road trip I’ve ever taken. Our YMCA leaders were a married couple who, along with their two young children Brian and Judy, had signed on … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Scapegoatism

Posted on August 1, 2022 by mitchteemley

Thought for the Week Scapegoats were the animals the ancient Hebrews laid their hands on in order to cast away their sins. It was a symbolic act, meaning, “I’m ashamed of the evil in myself and I publicly disown it.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

The Year My Conscience Awoke

Posted on November 16, 2021 by mitchteemley

My Real Memoir My modest brush with “persecution” seemed to kick loose some new level of awareness in me of when I was in 4th Grade. To be honest, there were lots of things that occupied more real estate in … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , | 38 Comments