July 2025
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The Moral Crisis Pricking the Conscience
When does war become an act of vengeance? The question pricks at the conscience in times of war, political instability, and humanitarian crisis. We again find ourselves in such a period. The question demands a response. Gaza. Palestinians: 59,219 fatalities:… Continue reading
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The Vulnerable and the Venerable Mystery
What does it mean when someone asks you to pray for them? What does the request say about them and you? Prayer is a topic that we relate to public worship, a liturgy. Our engagement in private and personal prayer… Continue reading
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What Lies Hidden
by Carl ten Hoopen “Hogwash.” Fred Haisch slid the sheet of paper across the table. My editor said much the same thing to me the previous evening when I showed her the article. Standing over me, she wore green eyeshades.… Continue reading
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Memory and Loss
This past week I drove past the home of a couple that I briefly had known. Judy and Diane lived next door to me while I lived at a place I came to call Hermits Pond. The following is a… Continue reading
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In Remembrance of Joyce Williams
Joyce Williams died yesterday (19 July) afternoon. Her name, and the person that she was will be unfamiliar to all but a few who read this piece. Joyce was the mother of Leigh, our daughter-in-law. Her cause of death was… Continue reading
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The Frail Figure at the Door
Good songs survive time because they are strong. The lyrics speak to us even after the passage of time. This morning, while listening to Johnny Cash’s Cash Unearthed produced by Rick Ruben, the stories my grandparents told me came to… Continue reading
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Elbows Up with Chocolate & Beer
by Carl ten Hoopen Chocolate and beer slip uneasily into essays. They are topics that glide easily to our attention when pushing a cart down the grocery aisle, attending a hockey game, or dining at the Queen & Beaver Public… Continue reading
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Muggers, Pretzels, and the Integrity of A Small Newspaper
Censors sneak up right before your eyes in broad daylight. They aren’t figures lurking in a dark alley on a rainy night waiting to mug you as you make your way from a subway entrance. The censors wear tailored suits.… Continue reading
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Friends & Taking a Vacation with a Postscript
Friends & Taking A Vacation I am often surprised when asked if Carl ten Hoopen is a real person. Be assured that he is. Any doubts that you have may be due to the photograph he asked me to use… Continue reading
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While Canada Burns, Washington Fumes
This morning, I received a letter from a friend in Canada. He was polite, as he typically is, but I could hear the anger when he asked, “These are Congressmen?” His question was raised in response to a letter six… Continue reading
Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal 