Monthly Archives: December 2017

The Good Patient

Posted on December 25, 2017 by hessd

I have very slowly become a fan of the ABC show The Good Doctor. The friction that is the basis of the show—Dr. Shaun Murphy is better than everyone else at the hospital in diagnosis and treatment and worse than … Continue reading →

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Matthew pairs Jesus and Moses

Posted on December 23, 2017 by hessd

Matthew spends a lot of time in his gospel presenting Jesus as the new Moses. It has not been lost on scholars, for instance, that in Matthew, Jesus’s first sustained teaching was on a mountain. Moses went up the the … Continue reading →

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Do revolutions eat their children?

Posted on December 18, 2017 by hessd

Usually, yes. They do. I don’t think it is unavoidable, though, and I’d like to think about it with you today. The “revolution” I have in mind today isn’t really a revolution in the strict sense; it is the women’s … Continue reading →

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Recharge your battery!

Posted on December 13, 2017 by hessd

There is a new ad by a product called 5 Hour Energy that I found really appealing—until I had a chance to think about it. [1] Then I found it appalling. Today I’d like to write about the appalling part. … Continue reading →

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Wise Men. Not too smart though.

Posted on December 11, 2017 by hessd

I am going to write today about the geopolitical savvy of the Wise Men.[1] They were academics who studied the stars and when they saw one that portended a new king of the Jews, they knew immediately where to go. … Continue reading →

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My first victory lap

Posted on December 10, 2017 by hessd

The first day of my first victory lap is December 17, 2017. That will be the day after I turn 80. I can hardly wait. What is a “victory lap?” It’s an old story, well known by my family. Not … Continue reading →

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Assembling a Convidium

Posted on December 9, 2017 by hessd

Nope. Not a word (yet) so far as I know. I hope to have the better known “colloquium” after all the members of the convidium see the movie clips. So, for instance, there are two reflections on forgiveness that I … Continue reading →

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Why the CHEB is so important

Posted on December 6, 2017 by hessd

CHEB is a flimsy response to an important issue. CHEB is a discipline I am going to try to follow as a way of referring to President Trump. [1] It stands for Current Head of the Executive Branch. I called … Continue reading →

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Righteousness v. Mercy in Matthew’s account

Posted on December 1, 2017 by hessd

Joseph was a righteous man. Matthew 1:18 That’s what it says right there. “Her husband (it says in the previous line) being righteous AND not willing to expose her publicly.” OK, let’s start off with the apologies. First to Professor … Continue reading →

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