Ocean passages on rolling seas; counting waves to challenge the myth of the set wave, where every seventh swell is the largest of a set of 14 waves. Sometimes, it was the fifth; other times it was the ninth. Whatever the number, there was always a wave that appeared too big, that roared and enveloped you.

My early morning trip, with lights sparkling on the horizon in the wintry cold of dawn, reminded me that seekers are the torchlight that feeds the flame – illuminating and healing “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine” while spreading peace and joy.

Nothing can violate my commitment to protecting and securing life through acts of love and compassion. So, if the state chooses to kill me, it is not the end for me; it is only the beginning.

“Retirement is the filthiest word in the language. Whether by choice or by fate, to retire from what you do – and what you do makes you what you are – is to back up into the grave.” -Hemingway-

By James E. Copple   Where are the men? Gender-violence and human-trafficking are issues caused mostly by men but challenged mostly by women. There is a conspicuous silence and lack of interest on the part of Muslim men, government leaders (mostly men) and by men in general. Recent attention to the kidnapping of 276 Nigerian […]

By James E. Copple The death of Nelson Mandela has allowed me to reflect on an era rapidly disappearing in the consciousness of our collective history. Apartheid was one of the many issues that confronted my generation. The war in Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement, “women’s liberation” and apartheid jumped out of the headlines and […]

Voices from the Night: The Power and Promise of Community Change is now out there for everybody to see and read. It is a “story book.” I am a story teller! I have had the opportunity to be a witness to so many events in so many environments. Whether it is the preacher in me, the teacher in me, or the advocate in me, or all of the above, I cannot tell a story without applying a lesson.

by James E. Copple In the last election cycle, candidates and their campaigns spent approximately $8 billion to secure their offices. Most of that $8 billion came from citizens like you and me. During the last campaign, candidates, their surrogates, their parties, their PACs inundated us with funding requests to support their efforts to secure […]

In the second presidential debate, Katherine Fenton asked the following question: “In what new ways do you intend to rectify the inequalities in the workplace, specifically regarding females making 72 percent of what their male counterparts earn?”