Charles Christian

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Politicians from all sides like to ask a version of this question: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”It is not clear which politician first asked that question, but it has become more common, and it does make an impact in many cases. It is

“Hi, Charles,” the barista called out as I entered the coffee shop. Without thinking, I said “Hello,” and started my order. As I was waiting, I thought how interesting it was that this barista called me by name. I don’t go to coffee shops every day, but there are two or three I sometimes go

I remember my grandpa’s razor. He died when I was a child, but I remember seeing his old one-blade razor sitting by the mirror at my grandparents’ home when I was going over to visit. It was a sturdy, wooden razor with a steel head. The head unscrewed so the blade would fit inside it.

The elderly man stood just outside the door of the local grocery store. He waited as if maybe he was thinking about going back in, as if he had forgotten something. Then, it became clear why he was waiting. Slowly and carefully he pushed the door open and held it as an elderly woman with

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The season of Lent began on March 5 with a commemoration called Ash Wednesday. Lent is a period of 40 days when Christians prepare themselves for the arrival of Easter, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and the hope this provides. During Lent, the Church actively

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — It’s an often-used saying: Don’t judge someone until you are willing to walk a mile in his shoes. However, its power never diminishes. The biblical term for seeking to feel or connect with another is “compassion.” The original (Greek) word means “to suffer with.” Better said, when someone suffers,

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — From the very beginning of time, humans have wrestled with the fact that we are all created with differences. In fact, there are entire groups of people who differ from other groups. We humans tend to flock toward those most like us in appearance and preferences. Sometimes we do

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — David McCullough is one of the most popular historians and writers of the past 50 years. Although he passed away in 2022 at the age of 89, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author made past presidents like John Adams and Missouri’s own Harry Truman, as well as important figures like the

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — “Without counsel, plans fail; but with many advisers, they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22). This is just one of many passages in both the Old and New Testaments where we are advised to seek the counsel of others. A popular saying related to that idea goes like this: “There’s a reason

I remember throwing the book across the room. It was my final year in graduate school, and I picked a major paper topic over a controversial writer who was well-known for causing controversy. He was brilliant, but he wrote in an aggressive way that challenged most readers, especially those from my background, in many ways.