Deep Something

A Way Out of No Way: John Lewis and the Moral Will

July 20, 2025 B. John 2578 Views 1 Comment Stoicism, nonviolence, Selma, justice, Epictetus, Heather Cox Richardson, Civil Rights, Marcus Aurelius, moral courage, good trouble, Buddhist, Jewish justice, Abrahamic traditions, John Lewis, tikkun olam, Bodhisattva

This entry is part 17 of 59 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

“Lewis did not need a theory of justice. He lived one.”
Five years after the death of Congressman John Lewis, his words and witness still call us to the hard, necessary work of moral courage. Drawing from Christian theology, the Black church, and the discipline of nonviolence, Lewis embodied a philosophy of action that mirrors the core of Stoic thought—and resonates just as deeply with the teachings of Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. He did not merely protest injustice. He met it with clarity, hope, and a soul unshaken by cruelty. His legacy extends beyond American history. It is human wisdom.

Featured Politics Presidency Religion Society Methodism Stoicism

Warriors for Justice: A Stoic Response to Robert Reich

July 18, 2025July 16, 2025 B. John 1261 Views 1 Comment Seneca, John Wesley, methodism, Epictetus, Robert Reich, Pigliucci

This entry is part 16 of 59 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Your first thought might be: One more warrior is exactly what we do not need in this moment. The world feels overrun with conflict already. But what if the kind of warrior we need now is not one who fights for dominance or control, but one who stands calmly for conscience, who chooses clarity over chaos and courage over comfort? That is the kind of warrior Robert Reich wrote about — a woman on the front lines of immigration defense, who meets injustice not with rage, but with a quiet joy rooted in purpose. Her story holds a lesson as old as the Stoics and as current as the morning’s headlines.

This reflection is part of the ongoing “Stoicism Journey” series, which explores how ancient Stoic principles can offer clarity, strength, and moral direction in today’s world. Each piece connects Stoic thought to real-life challenges, often intersecting with faith, justice, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. In this installment, we respond to a story shared by Robert Reich, considering what it means to be a warrior for justice in dishonorable times.

Presidency Religion Society Methodism Hate Groups Economy Featured Politics Congress

No Longer as Predators, But as Pilgrims

July 3, 2025July 3, 2025 B. John 2729 Views 1 Comment christian, medicaid, medicare, Donald Trump, Social Security, United Methodist, SNAP, Mike Johnson, JD Vance

In the wake of a cruel and deeply unjust budget bill passed by the U.S. Congress, I feel compelled to speak out—not just as a citizen, but as a Christian, a United Methodist, and someone at retirement age who will soon depend on the very programs now under attack. This essay is a moral response to a political failure. It is a call to conscience. We are not meant to live as predators. We are meant to walk together, as pilgrims.

Politics Legislature Society Gay Issues Right Wingnuts Hate Groups

Guardians of Morality-Can You Say “Glass House”

June 16, 2025 B. John 946 Views 0 Comments republicans, Bridget Ziegler, RJ May, Moms For Liberty, M4L

This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Hate Groups

Moms for Liberty wants to save your children from books, drag queens, and anything with a rainbow. But maybe they should’ve checked their own guest list before handing out “medals of moral excellence.” South Carolina State Rep. RJ May, recently honored by the group, was arrested and charged with distributing child sex abuse material, including files showing himself engaged in sex acts with underage girls. Yes, you read that right. The man Moms for Liberty hailed as a protector of children was allegedly doing the exact thing he claimed to fight.

Presidency Religion Society Crime Corruption Methodism Crack Pots Featured Politics

The Plan Is Working: Fear, Force, and the March Toward American Authoritarianism

June 14, 2025June 14, 2025 B. John 220 Views 0 Comments Marines, Trump, ICE, No Kings Day, Arrests, Protests

Of course, it’s all a coincidence. Marines are arresting civilians in Los Angeles. ICE raids are ripping families apart. Federal troops deployed without state consent. Political opponents detained. And now, a state legislator has been murdered. All part of the new normal. Nothing to see here. It’s just another week in the great American experiment.

This is not chaos. It’s choreography. What may seem like a string of shocking, disconnected headlines is actually an authoritarian blueprint unfolding in real-time. Donald Trump’s administration is not merely pushing legal boundaries but deliberately breaking them and testing the system. Daring anyone to stop him. Spoiler: No one has.

Gay Issues Methodism Featured Places Tampa Politics Presidency Religion Society

No Kings Day: A Stand Against Power and Injustice

June 13, 2025 B. John 1003 Views 0 Comments methodist, Church, Trump, Authoritarianism, Protest, Wesley, Parade

This Saturday, people will rise across 2,000 U.S. cities, including Tampa, united in one unflinching message: “No Kings.” This is not a protest born of idle dissent. It is a fierce rebuke of President Donald Trump and a social order built on abuse of power. Flag Day plus Trump’s 79th birthday equals a military parade costing taxpayers $25–45?million. The implicit message? A cult of personality masquerading as patriotism. For United Methodists grounded in Wesleyan conviction, this is intolerable. John and Charles Wesley stood against social evil, not in quiet tones but with prophetic boldness, calling out power when it crushes the least among us. That same courage calls us now to confront policies that tear at the fabric of our communities.

Culture Deep Thoughts Featured Religion Stoicism

The Gift of Memento Mori

May 28, 2025May 30, 2025 B. John 3239 Views 4 Comments Friends, Family, life, Friendship, Memento Mori

This entry is part 2 of 59 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

That phrase—Memento Mori—means “remember that you must die.” It’s an old Stoic meditation, not meant to provoke dread but to awaken us… and remind us not to sleepwalk through our lives. The Stoic philosopher Seneca put it this way: “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing.”

Politics Congress Election Religion Society Gay Issues Hate Groups Racism Featured

The Call to Justice is Urgent

November 13, 2024 B. John 1096 Views 0 Comments 2024 Election, Trump, justice, Harris

Progressives stand at a critical juncture where the call for justice is louder and more urgent than ever. My faith compels me to see the injustices that surround us and act against them with conviction, guided by Christ’s example of righteous defiance in the face of oppression. While persistence is essential, there are moments when persistence alone is not enough; sometimes, our witness demands a more forceful resistance, a willingness to dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequality and cause harm actively.

Featured Places Kings Mountain Tampa Politics Religion Methodism General Culture

Resuming Rants

September 26, 2023 B. John 1158 Views 0 Comments Idalia, Tampa, Cafe Con Tampa, Kings Mountain

There was a brief restaurant review posted earlier this year. The last post before that was a movie review (The Whale). A lot has transpired in my world over the past few months, and I think I am ready to get back to trying to post more or less regularly. The highlight reel looks a bit like this:

Hate Groups Featured Places Tampa Politics Courts Society Gay Issues Right Wingnuts

Judge William Jung-Douchebag of the Day

October 6, 2019October 9, 2019 B. John 2376 Views 1 Comment William Jung, Liberty Counsel, Robert Vazzo, David H. Pickup, Reparative Therapy, LGBT Youth Suicide

This entry is part 53 of 54 in the series Daily Douche-Bag

In 2017, Tampa passed an ordinance that prohibited conversion therapy for children under 18. As they always do, Liberty Counsel and their perpetual “client,” Las Vegas-based Robert Vazzo (not even a resident of Florida), and a David Pickup of Dallas (not licensed in Florida) filed a lawsuit to get the ordinance overturned. However, Republican Trump-appointee William Jung had to bend himself into a Gordian Knot of legal reasoning to give them that win.

Religion Society Gay Issues Methodism

Wesley Covenant Association Proceeds with Plans for New Denomination

November 7, 2018November 7, 2018 B. John 5907 Views 3 Comments Schism, UMC, United Methodist Church, Weslyan Convenant Association, WCA, IRD, John Wesley

As a group takes up the name of Wesley to promote schism within the UMC, John Wesley had this to about schism, ““[Schism] is evil in itself. To separate ourselves from a body of living Christians, with whom we were before united, is a grievous breach of the law of love. Note that the damage in schism is not to a structure, but to the character of holiness in those who participate in it.”