Victor Hugo ndash a poet and novelist during the social and political upheavals of nineteenth-century France is perhaps best known for his classic Les Miserables Over a century later a musical adaption of his novel has become one of our generation rsquo s most popular productions This shouldn rsquo t surprise us As Hugo once said ldquo Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent rdquo The psalmists would have agreed Their songs and prayers provide us with honest reflections on life and its inevitable pain They touch us in places we [... more]

When my brother David suddenly died of cardiac failure my perspectives on life changed dramatically Dave was the fourth of seven children but he was the first of us to pass mdash and the unexpected nature of that passing gave me much to ponder It became apparent that as age began to catch up with us our family rsquo s future was going to be marked more by loss than by gain It was going to be characterized as much by goodbyes as hellos None of this was a surprise intellectually mdash that is just how life works But this [... more]