Articles
Here's a selection of articles I’ve had published in The Christian Science Journal, Christian Science Sentinel, and The Christian Science Monitor. See my blog for other published and unpublished articles.
The good that is you
Christian Science Sentinel, April 10, 2023 | The Christian Science Monitor, April 13, 2023
“What does it mean to be blessed?” I asked one of my Christian Science Sunday School students, suggesting as a “for instance” that some might think of it as having a lot of good in their lives, as being completely satisfied. He paused for a moment, then said, “For me, being blessed isn’t so much about the good I’ve received as it is knowing that I am good.” Keep reading...
Dealing with doomerism
Christian Science Sentinel, May 9, 2022
“All it takes is one person to poke a hole through the bottom of a boat in order for everyone else on board to be affected,” remarked a friend, referring to the impact that the negativity of others can have on our own thoughts and lives. A helpful metaphor, but even more, a great reminder of the importance of keeping our collective boat afloat through a better understanding of the inviolable goodness of God. Keep reading...
Can we trust God with our health?
"Sentinel Watch" Podcast, January 2, 2023
Between the high cost of health care and a growing provider shortage, many people believe there's no way to find or maintain good health. But maybe you’d be willing to consider that there is a power beyond any personal effort or medical expertise that is a reliable, empowering, and uplifting means of healing and health. Click here to listen to the podcast...
You deserve to be healed
Christian Science Sentinel, January 17, 2022 | The Christian Science Monitor, October 18, 2023
Everyone deserves to be healed, because everyone is loved by God.
That may seem to be a bold statement, especially if you’re wondering if healing is even possible for some challenge you’re facing. But if there’s one thing we can learn from reading the Bible—in particular the teachings and healings of Christ Jesus—it’s that God loves each and every one of us, and that our complete and unconditional acceptance of this love inevitably leads to healing. Keep reading...
God said...
JSH-Online, December 10, 2021 | Christian Science Sentinel, October 9, 2023
Are we living in a post-truth era?
JSH-Online, August 12, 2021 | The Christian Science Monitor, September 28, 2021
Rumor has it that we’re living in a post-truth era. Post-truth is defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief” (lexico.com). While this may be an apt description of what appears to be going on within the current political arena, post-truth is not a term I would use to describe the world in which we actually live. And here's why: Keep reading...
A practical understanding of the infinity of God
The Christian Science Monitor, November 3, 2017 | Christian Science Sentinel, April 9, 2018
Unless you’re a mathematician, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about the notion of infinity. Given even a bit more thought, though, it’s something we all might benefit from every day of our lives. Keep reading...
After the fires, a ‘still small voice’
The Christian Science Monitor, October 24, 2017 & November 13, 2018
As the deadliest wildfire in my home state of California continues to rage, I yearn for those impacted to feel peace, comfort, and safety. I’m also reminded of a favorite Bible passage that meant a lot to me when fires began near my home in Sonoma County last year. Keep reading...
Something we can all do to defuse violence
The Christian Science Monitor, October 20, 2017
What stopped Marcus from killing someone was learning that he was a child of God. Marcus (not his real name) was an inmate in a Pennsylvania jail when my friend Dave met him. Dave was there as a representative of the local Church of Christ, Scientist, to give a ministerial talk. The crux of what he told them dealt with gaining a better understanding of man’s true existence as a creation of the Divine, naturally inclined to love one’s neighbor as one’s self, as the Bible often states. Keep reading...
Hatred is not us
The Christian Science Monitor, August 23, 2017
Around the world and throughout history, hate has reared its ugly head. But we don’t need to accept this as an endless, inevitable cycle. Looking more deeply at what we truly are reveals a path out of hatred for victims and perpetrators alike. Keep reading...
An Easter encounter with the Christ
The Christian Science Monitor, March 24, 2016
This year, more than ever, I’ve been thinking a lot less about the Easter holiday and a lot more about the specific role Mary Magdalene played in this blessed event – a woman who, according to the Gospel of John, was the first to recognize, and to be recognized by, the risen Jesus. Keep reading...
Echkart Tolle and the kingdom of heaven within
The Christian Science Journal, September 1, 2013
To listen to Eckhart Tolle is to be reminded that anything is possible – for anyone. I’m not talking about living a life of leisure, filled with expensive cars, beach homes, and extravagant vacations, but an experience brimming with the kind of spiritual insights that not only make this life worth living but decidedly more fulfilling. Keep reading...
Who does the nudging?
Christian Science Sentinel, May 20, 2013
The other day as I was driving from one appointment to another, the thought came that my job, Christian Science Committee on Publication for Northern California, was to be a kind of “nudge” to those I meet in the media and legislature, encouraging them, for instance, to see that health isn’t a condition of matter and that health care isn’t the exclusive domain of drug-based medicine. However, right on the heels of this “inspiration” came another, more arresting notion: “Who’s doing the nudging?” Keep reading...
Morality: How can I 'be good?'
Sentinel AUDIO CHAT, March 5, 2013
"In his opening comments, Eric gives a broad description of what it means to be moral, which, he says, “is to live in obedience in both thought and deed to the law of God, the law of Love—that law that inspires and guides us in our efforts to live by the Golden Rule, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” He goes on to explain that the Golden Rule can be applied to all kinds of moral issues." Listen to audio chat...
Better food or drugs, or better morals?
Christian Science Sentinel, December 24, 2012
The latest research out of Stanford University confirms something the scientific community has probably known for years but only recently has begun to admit more openly: When it comes to better health, we don’t really know what we think we know. Keep reading...
Can path to healthier nation be found in the mind?
Christian Science Sentinel, October 1, 2012
In the months leading up to the [United States] Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most of the nation’s attention was focused on the viability of the so-called individual mandate: the requirement for all Americans to have health insurance beginning in 2014. Conventional wisdom said that as the mandate goes, so goes the rest of law, regardless of how the court ruled on other aspects of the legislation. Keep reading...
Is medical hypnosis the answer to better health?
Christian Science Sentinel, August 13, 2012
Although many of us tend to think of hypnosis in terms of swinging stopwatches and making unsuspecting people act like chickens, it turns out that this age-old practice is now being used for far more practical purposes, including better health and lower hospital bills. However, as progressive as this may sound, I wonder if such an approach to easing suffering ultimately gives us more or less control over our bodies. Keep reading...
Conference encourages revolution in health & medicine
Christian Science Sentinel, April 9, 2012
Revolutions seem to be a dime a dozen these days. But the uprising launched this week at the TEDMED medical conference in Washington, DC, just might be the most far-reaching of them all, impacting in some way, shape, or form the vast majority of those living on planet Earth. Keep reading...
Healing – miracle or natural for everyone?
Christian Science Sentinel, December 26, 2011
In the movie Oh, God! the title character, played by George Burns, explains to co-star John Denver that the last miracle he performed was the 1969 Mets—the implication being that God is a kind of celestial superhero whose random interventions result in some amazing things happening here on earth. This is likely how most folks view miracles, and pretty much how they’re defined on Dictionary.com: “. . . an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.” Keep reading...
Social media – and sincere connections
Christian Science Sentinel, November 7, 2011
Thanks to Santa Clara University professor Elizabeth Drescher’s Tweet If You (Heart) Jesus: Practicing Church in the Digital Reformation, I’ve finally found a social media guru that I can actually relate to. Keep reading...
What Harry Potter taught me about evil
The Christian Science Monitor, October 6, 2011
In addition to providing me with at least a decade’s worth of entertainment, J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series has also given me a fresh and hopefully meaningful way to explain my not-always-easy-to-explain religion to others. Keep reading...
A new era in health care?
Christian Science Sentinel, September 26, 2011
The other day a good friend of mine posted a picture of an Airbus A380 taking off from SFO [San Francisco Airport]on his Facebook page. Call me odd, but in a way this image reminded me of the future of health care in America and, for that matter, around the world. I’ll get to health care in a minute. First, a word about the A380. Keep reading...
Is more money the answer?
Sentinel AUDIO CHAT, August 16, 2011
"Eric answers the chat's title question at the outset by saying that no, more money is not the answer, but that gaining a greater understanding of God is. He notes that it's common for people to complain about lack and poor economic conditions and advises listeners to spend more time in a spiritual endeavor such as prayer. Giving up the limited perspective of not having enough will uplift thought and 'the return on your investment will be huge.'" Listen to audio chat...
Energy breakthroughs
Christian Science Sentinel, December 27, 2010
I remember when I was in high school, having a conversation with my dad about our family finances. He had a paycheck in front of him, and to this day I can recall, in essence, what he said: "This check is not the source of our family's income. Our supply comes from the ideas behind the projects I work on. Dollars are finite, but ideas are infinite. They come directly from God and will always be there to meet our needs." Keep reading...
Universal healthcare
Christian Science Sentinel, November 2, 2009
Who's to decide what's best for our nation's ailing healthcare system? I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the answer. However, I do know that an important component of any healthcare system is allowing people access to whatever responsible form of healthcare they've found to be the most effective. Keep reading...
What does love look like?
Christian Science Sentinel, October 30, 2006
It looked like a pack of sweaty bike riders, appearing out of nowhere, speeding down a lonesome road in 100-degree heat. At least that's what it looked like to me. But there was more to it. Keep reading...
A spiritual balance sheet
The Christian Science Journal, August, 2005
Recently I found myself taking a long, hard look at my financial situation. I'd just decided to leave my job as a salaried employee, and it appeared that my reserves were running low. Keep reading...
Patients' bill of rights
The Christian Science Monitor, December 9, 1999
There is a renewed debate in Congress these days about the rights and privileges of individuals who participate in managed health care plans. These privileges have been referred to as a "patients' bill of rights. Keep reading...
Trusting God to guide our careers
Christian Science Sentinel, June 1, 1998
In today's business world, it's tempting to look at a degree from a particular university, a supportive network of friends and contacts, or just plain luck as somehow playing a role in the development of our careers. But something I've asked myself time and again is whether I'm willing to recognize God as the biggest influence on my career. Sound a little risky? It depends, really, on how we perceive God. Keep reading...
Bicycle accident (testimony of healing)
Christian Science Sentinel, December 16, 1996
Early one Saturday morning, I was about two thirds of the way through a fifty-mile bicycle ride through some beautiful coastal mountains near my home. The highway I was riding along is notorious for fast-moving and careless drivers. Nevertheless, it's one of my favorite rides, which I've taken more than a dozen times. Keep reading...
Healed of severe back and leg pain (testimony of healing)
Christian Science Sentinel, August 31, 2020
A recent inspiration reminded me of the deeper significance of a healing that took place about 15 years ago.At the time of this healing, I was doing a significant amount of long-distance bike riding. This was something I loved to do practically every day of the week. But at one point a sharp and persistent pain in my lower back made it nearly impossible to ride. I also had considerable difficulty walking or finding a comfortable position for sleep. Keep reading...
What does love have to do with ending a pandemic?
Christian Science Sentinel, July 13, 2020 | The Christian Science Monitor, July 28, 2020
By the time I arrived at my apartment, the only thing I could do was collapse on my bed. I was suffering from a variety of flu symptoms and desperately wanted to go to sleep. But before I did, I called my mom and asked her to pray for me. Keep reading...
Slide down a mountain (testimony of healing)
The Christian Science Journal, January, 1989
A friend and I went hiking on a snow-covered mountain in southern California. Because of the combination of warm days and below-freezing evening temperatures, many of the trails were covered with a sheet of ice. While walking along one of these trails, I slipped and fell nearly a thousand feet down the slope of a rocky gorge, eventually coming to a stop when my body hit a small tree. Keep reading...