CAIRN UNIVERSITY Please take the time to carefully read this blog; it’s important to me and my colleagues.   May 26, 2021 for past and present social workers of Cairn University was the start of an emotional, questionable, and confusion journey in the history of Cairn; the closing of the School of Social Work, which began its Master of Social Work program this year.   Imagine the shock, the pain and hurt we all felt by this news, receiving a letter written by the President of Cairn without warning, an exploding bomb and a knife to our hearts.   Here is a copy of the letter written by the President.               Dear Social Work Alumni, I am writing to update you on some very important developments at the University. There will be additional communication from the University with more specifics, but I did not want to wait any longer than necessary to get this news to you. After much prayer and deliberation, the University w...

  Thinking about Good Friday A year has passed since we found ourselves “staying home and staying safe!”   Last April, I sat here at home reflecting on Good Friday; from death to life (Read previous blog of April 6 2020).   I wrote then about my watching the Passion of the Christ and expressed my thoughts on the behaviors of the Jewish religious leaders, Judas Iscariot and Peter; with whom most of us might identify.   The Jewish religious leaders, out of fear and jealousy moved to have Jesus eradicated; they called for his death but could not do this themselves.   The Roman government would need to execute Jesus.   According to what we read in Scripture, Pilate saw no legitimate reason to execute Jesus but saw the envy, jealousy and hatred in the religious leaders.   In addition, because of religious “practices” the religious leaders would not enter the praetorium (palace) so as not to “defile” themselves before Passover (John 18:28-40).   What ...

  FEBRUARY: THINKING ABOUT LOVE On February 14, many of us will be thinking about love, Valentine’s Day.   Some of us will be browsing through Valentine’s Day cards; in local pharmacies or special card shops if open and online reading sentiments in prose that will hopefully describe exactly what we wish to say to our loved ones.   Some of us will take the opportunity to make the event a special occasion by going out to dinner while wearing our facemasks and social distancing.   Some of us will likely stay home and cook that special meal in keeping with the “stay home, stay safe” recommendation.   To make this day extra special, some of us will present an engagement ring to that special someone in our lives.   Yes, February 14 is Valentine’s Day when special attention is devoted to, “thinking about love.” Pope Gelasius I instituted a “Feast Day” in 496 AD in memory of Saint Valentine martyred in 269 AD.   According to “church history,” we do not kno...