By WALTER ALBRITTON RELIGION — When I was young, I read Thor Heyerdal’s “Kon-Tiki,” a true adventure story of five men who survived a dangerous 101-day journey across the Pacific Ocean in a primitive balsa wood raft. Having modeled their craft like those used by...

RELIGION — Upon the death of his mother, the Dutch priest Henri Nouwen wrote a little book titled “In Memoriam.” It is an intimate account of the power of a mother to influence a son. “From her,” Nouwen said, “I had come to feel an unqualified acceptance which had...

By WALTER ALBRITTON RELIGION — A friend asked me if I had travel plans for the summer. I laughed and said, “Yes, I’m planning to drive over to Dollar General, the one that’s a half-mile from my house.” I explained that in this late season of my life, traveling is not...

By WALTER ALBRITTON RELIGION — To fail at something can be a bitter experience. But sooner or later everyone will sit in the ashes of defeat because failure is universal. So, to live life well, each of us must rise up from the ashes and decide to not let our life be...