NEW YORK (RNS) A lot of money goes into compelling our behavior, not liberating it. And into pleasing the powerful, not disrupting them. But I sense the tide of personal potency is turning. By Tom Ehrich. About 700.

(RNS) In the afterglow, I give thanks for Thanksgiving Day. It might be our most spiritual holiday. We did nothing remarkable, and yet we sampled the cornucopia that makes life matter: love, patience, giving to others. By Tom Ehrich.

NEW YORK (RNS) Establishment Christianity has taken inordinate satisfaction in our occasional mission work among the needy, but not challenged each other to seek transformation of life. When we should have been proclaiming the gospel that Jesus actually preached, we were building an institution that depended on not offending the wealthy. By Tom Ehrich. 

NEW YORK (RNS) The ``October trifecta'' that touched my life -- my father's death, surgery and the unprecedented destruction of Hurricane Sandy -- did what traumatic events often do: they left me emotionally fatigued and ready for some fresh clarity, fresh perspective and fresh prioritizing. By Tom Ehrich.

NEW YORK (RNS) After the most dreadful political season in memory, I took heart as leaders stepped up to lead after Hurricane Sandy and as adults stepped up to do what adults do. Those who have actual responsibilities carried them out, while those who lust for power were ignored. By Tom Ehrich.

(RNS) Of all the ugliness in Election 2012, none disturbs me more than attempts to prevent people from voting. Voter suppression strikes at the very heart of American democracy. By Tom Ehrich.

(RNS) I understand that older folks have a hard time letting go. We were once the repository of fresh ideas, exciting dreams, and change-the-world aspirations. But the fact is, at some point the youth deserve to be heard. After all, they are even more legion than we are -- and they are dreaming the new dreams. By Tom Ehrich.

(RNS) Even now, a week after surgery, I find my mind drifting off. I haven't always taken enough time to heal. I moved on too soon, when my head, in effect, was still woozy. So this time I am taking time. No rushing back to work, no making important decisions, no feeling impatient to have my wits fully about me. By Tom Ehrich.

(RNS) Presidential debates are like first visits to possible in-laws. You hope not to belch at supper -- and then you return to the world where you are actually exploring marriage and building a life. By Tom Ehrich.

NEW YORK (RNS) In our volatile, ambiguous and interconnected world, raw nationalism has become a danger to civilization. Learning to respect other peoples and to imagine their needs as legitimate is a critical component of modern wisdom. By Tom Ehrich.

(RNS) Nothing will get better in our troubled and divided nation until we take to heart three lessons about what it means to be a decent person. First, give back to God. Second, help the unfortunate. Third, tell the truth. By Tom Ehrich.

NEW YORK (RNS) The better a restaurant owner knows the customers, the more focused the menu can be. It's the same with politics; when it's local, candidates tend to know their people or at least know their interests, lingo, worries and hopes. This is the level at which democracy tends to work best. By Tom Ehrich.

(RNS) Politicians lie. We know that. Usually the American public is wary in responding to this chicanery. But the recent Republican National Convention revealed a mass madness that went beyond having fun. By Tom Ehrich.