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Listen, Pray, Learn, and Act: Discernment in Horrendous Times

Listen, Pray, Learn, and Act: Discernment in Horrendous Times

by | Feb 3, 2026 |

How do we respond faithfully to the out-of-control abuse of power and use of violence in Minnesota, our nation, and the world? The urge to turn off the news and ignore everything is strong. Yet history offers endless examples of how that reaction aids and encourages oppressors and perpetrators of injustice. To make it more complicated, many of us have friends and relatives who actually see the current situation and the attack on human rights as good for them—and for America.

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Really Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Really Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

by , | Jan 27, 2026 |

This is the eleventh year I have lived in Arizona for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Did you know that Arizona was the last state to start officially commemorating this federal holiday? I didn’t realize that states could decide not to recognize federal holidays, but evidently states’ rights apply here too. Their official reasoning at the time? “Why should the State of Arizona pay employees for a holiday of a non-national leader?”

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ICE Threats and Community in Action: One Story

ICE Threats and Community in Action: One Story

by | Jan 13, 2026 |

Donald Trump was elected to office in 2024, months after Tom and I relocated to Durham. We were immediately challenged to participate in activities resisting the administration’s abuse of power and racist policies. Our daughter lives locally and connected us with an amazing network of volunteers and organizations committed to preserving our democracy.

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Year-End Reflections on Hope

Year-End Reflections on Hope

by | Dec 30, 2025 |

The Sunday before Christmas, my extended family gathered for a holiday meal and gift exchange to celebrate the season together. My sister has hosted this event since my Mom and Dad became physically unable to do so. My Mom and Dad were in their late 80s when they passed and had hosted our family gathering for over 60 years. That is a lot of tradition—and a lot of love—handed down.

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What’s Love Got to Do with It…Got to Do with It….Got to Do with It…?

What’s Love Got to Do with It…Got to Do with It….Got to Do with It…?

by | Dec 23, 2025 |

How ‘often’ do we ask ourselves a question that begins with the phrase, “In These Perilous Times”? For me, it seems like ‘often’ has been repeating itself, well – quite often for the last several years. Earlier this month, my wife and I decided to give ourselves a short break from the constant barrage of ‘breaking news’ in our DC perilous environment and attend a day-long meditation retreat.

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A Letter from Spain, Part II: Unaffordable housing—a different kind of violence?

A Letter from Spain, Part II: Unaffordable housing—a different kind of violence?

by | Dec 9, 2025 |

In my earlier post, I wrote about how living in Spain has shown me what personal safety actually feels like—the absence of a fear of guns and road violence, a fear I’d carried for decades without realizing it. My granddaughter rides her bicycle to school. We all walk home in the dark. No one is armed. No one will get kidnapped by masked government agents. But there’s another kind of violence here, quieter, and I’m complicit in it simply by being able to afford what young Spaniards cannot.

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Gratitude and Reparations: Beginning to Understand the Greenbelt Story

Gratitude and Reparations: Beginning to Understand the Greenbelt Story

by | Dec 2, 2025 |

Editor’s Note: The reflections below come from my personal experience as a member of the Greenbelt Reparations Commission, created after a 2021 citizen referendum directing the City Council to form a 21-person body to “review, discuss, and make recommendations related to reparations for African-American and Native American residents of Greenbelt.” These views are mine alone and do not represent the Commission.

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About Tom Adams

Tom AdamsTom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.