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Friday, March 29, 2024

Mark Azzara

Mark Azzara spent 45 years in print journalism, most of them with the Waterbury Republican in Connecticut, where he was a features writer with a special focus on religion at the time of his retirement. He also worked for newspapers in New Haven and Danbury, Conn. At the latter paper, while sports editor, he won a national first-place writing award on college baseball. Azzara also has served as the only admissions recruiter for a small Catholic college in Connecticut and wrote a self-published book on spirituality, "And So Are You." He is active in his church and facilitates two Christian study groups for men. Azzara grew up in southern California, graduating from Cal State Los Angeles. He holds a master's degree from the University of Connecticut.

There is absolutely no difference between straights and gays

In that sense, there is no difference between gays and straights. None! We have all abused our free will to create conflicting definitions of love, marriage and sex and thus refusing to allow God, who is love and the author of human sexuality, to define and explain those terms for us.

This Definition of Love May Leave You Agape

We can love like this only when we confess that such love is only possible by God's grace and then ask for it – i.e., for his ability to love, which he freely bestows on those who want it. With commitment and practice agape-love becomes real, and I realize it's not just me loving. God and I are doing it together because agape-love is the result of the relationship between God and me.

Humanity has 7 billion ways to define love

Two weeks ago I asked readers to define the word “love,” which I contend is the correct starting place for unpacking the real issue behind the Supreme Court's June 26 decision to legalize gay marriage.

It’s Your Turn to Write: Define the Word “Love”

I can't tell you how relieved I am that the Supreme Court has decided the gay marriage question. Perhaps now, after decades of legal wrangling, we can finally get around to addressing the real issue.

Jon Stewart and the truth of the Charleston massacre

A few days ago Jon Stewart, the host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, apologized for being unable to write jokes in the wake of the Charleston shootings. His statement was moving because it reflected truth in a way I've rarely heard. It forced me to once again think about myself.

Surprise! All the stuff I once thought was important isn’t

There was a time when I thought all of this stuff was important enough to justify expressing my opinion. There was a time when I thought my opinion was really important.

So many voices, so few willing to listen and really hear

And I'm not referring just to my portion of it, but to the entire Christian church – Christ's people. We don't want to listen to Him. In fact, I'm pretty sure most Christians don't know how.

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