Commentary

BEVERLY, Mass. (RNS) For Alcoholics Anonymous to continue helping addicts find freedom in sobriety, the 75-year-old organization has to reclaim its spiritual roots.
That’s the message coming from reformers who say the group has drifted from core principles and is failing addicts who can’t save themselves.

Let me start off my first post for Spokane Faith & Values by apologizing.

I’m a Christian. Unfortunately in this day and age, most times this name is spoken it leaves a foul taste in the mouth.

"A Place at the Table," a documentary focusing on hunger in the U.S., will open at the Magic Lantern on Friday, which happens to also be World Water Day.

The documentary will play for a week, unless attendance demands it stays in the theater longer.

Evangelical pastor Rob Bell made headlines again this weekend when he said, "I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it's a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man."

While many in the Spokane area worshipped in various religious services Sunday morning, I ran the St. Paddy’s Five. Running is more than just an athletic event, it’s a celebration of community; it’s a place to be accepted for who I am.

Lately, I’ve kind of been on somewhat of a learning craze (because I am that boring.) This has mostly entailed podcasts and lots of reading, but also in the next month, two really cool conferences. The first one, this weekend, is PJALS’ Peace and Economic Justice Action Conference. The second, the “Power of Our Regional Food Economy: 2013 Conference” covers a topic that desperately needs addressing, especially in Spokane: the local food economy.