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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Rosemary Durham

Drinkable water like lunch is never free

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] Water. This is one of the critical ingredients to support life. Unfortunately, it is often in a form that is not particularly usable. With the massive amounts of rain this week, we could easily relate to Samuel Coleridge from his 1798 poem, “The Rime…

Actions speak louder than words, so does body language

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.]   “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” Variations of this quote are attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson about 1841 and had migrated to the listed iteration by 1900 in a sermon by John Barnett Donaldson. My grandmothers…

Three letter agencies are not immune to executive action

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.]   Three letter agencies. What are they? Various monikers are used including permanent bureaucracy, deep state, shadow government, and other more pejorative terms. How did they come about? President Woodrow Wilson began the idea of a permanent government outside of the political apparatus. There…

The National Weather Service and severe weather

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] It is February, the end of the holiday season, which begins in November, and the beginning of severe weather season in our region. We recently completed our annual trek to the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Spotter Training. This is a program on how…

A relationship made in heaven to give us freedom

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.]   “For 20 years I’ve gotten up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I can end the childhood chronic disease epidemic in this country. On August 23rd of last year, God sent me President…

Ham Radio becomes the roots for communications

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] Roots. The word is real and a metaphor for the underpinning. Roots are the foundation that hold things together, but seldom does anyone see. Let us tell you a story about a most unusual and unlikely group of people. Dr. Michael Gabbert, founding pastor…

The need for reset and new beginnings in January

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] January. Few other words give as clear an idea of a new beginning. January is derived from the Roman god, Janus, who was the deity of beginnings, transitions, and passageways. He is shown with two faces, one looking back at the past and one…

Christmas trees are a tradition, are they idols?

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] O Christmas tree. This traditional icon of Christmas has a mixed history. My parents did not have a Christmas tree when I was growing up, but her family did. Why? Is it reasonable or rational? This discussion will likely bristle the fur on some,…

Christmas traditions,movies and values

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] Welcome home. This is the tag line for a relatively new network, Great American Channel media (GAC) started by Bill Abbott. But back-up to what it is and how we found it. One would not think that politics would make much difference in how…

Thanksgiving is embedded in the American culture

Tulsa Beacon

[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] Thanksgiving. What an interesting word. It is embedded in the fabric of our culture and country. Since the election, history as it occurred is recognized again in our society, what is the story of Thanksgiving? You already know about the Pilgrims, who were at…