Sean Dietrich
Columnist
Sean is a writer for The Observer
Sean Dietrich's Latest
OPINIONOne of the strangest statements in Paul’s letters is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9 where he comments about his weaknesses. He says he is so proud of his infirmities that he will gladly boast about them. I call that strange because very rarely...
OPINION —Marriages are down 60% since the ‘70s. Divorce rates are soaring. And the New York Times reported that more 40-year-olds are choosing to live alone than ever before.Another recent survey of U.S. high-schoolers showed that the age of 12th...
BY SEAN DIETRICH OPINION —A supermarket checkout line. Cheesy holiday music is playing overhead. Not the fun kind of cheesy music, but the kind once heard in Kmart á la 1973.There is an old man at the head of our long checkout line, standing at the...
OPINION — Seventy-five years ago, Elton Trueblood dared to publish a book titled “The Future of the Christian.” At the time many insisted that theirs was a post-Christian age because the Christian worldview had lost its influence in the...
OPINION — The snow in West Virginia clings to the world like shaving cream, covering every surface, every automotive hood, every interstate sign. In the distance, the blue Appalachians stand watch over the Mountain State, like mother hens,...
OPINION — A friend of mine and his wife walked into a gift shop while on vacation in California. As they opened the door, causing a little bell to jingle, what they saw was breathtaking. Before them was a large picture window looking out on...
BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION —Words are precious. We communicate our needs, our dreams and our feelings with words. Since it’s Christmas time, let’s reflect on some choice words of the Christmas season.“Clearance” is one. I like it. My wife loved it....
OPINION —The story was told to me by a former deliveryman named John.The Christmas season was the busiest time of year for delivery-persons. Drivers saw a major uptick in workload. This did nothing to improve John’s sunny disposition.At...
All creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also...
OPINION —Tony James stood holding a cardboard sign on the street corner, caught in the cold drizzle.Damp clothes. Sun-beaten skin. Moving around to keep from shivering.Nobody really paid attention to Tony. Motorists sped around him. Most refusing...
OPINION — Wake up early. Still dark outside. It is 30-odd degrees on Lake Martin and I can’t feel my unmentionables. The 1940s cabin is poorly insulated. You could store Ben & Jerry’s products in the living room. I make coffee. Sit on the...
One of the signs that you belong to Jesus is a strong desire to pray. You want to commune with the one who made you a new person. You want to thank God for your salvation and keep your spirit open to the Spirit’s guidance. Jesus did not see prayer...
OPINION — As sudden as a lightning strike, a severe pain in my lower abdomen got my complete attention. One minute I was watching a football game; the next I was focused entirely on the sudden pain in my stomach. Assuming it would soon pass,...
OPINION —It’s a few minutes until Thanksgiving. I thought I’d stay up and watch the clock change. I’m sipping tea, listening to gentle music playing in the background.I think it’s Bing Crosby, or maybe Nat King Cole. The volume is too low to tell....
OPINION — The last penny has been minted. The humble American “pence” shall be no more. It’s too expensive to produce. It just doesn’t make sense. No pun implied. The penny costs roughly four cents to manufacture. It’s simply not efficient....
OPINION — When I read something that I like, I claim the author as my friend. It’s an idea I picked up from my friend, Elton Trueblood. One day, when we were talking together, he shared a quote by “my friend Samuel Johnson.” Remembering that...
BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION — My voice was steady. I was calm and composed as I explained to my friends that like the Apostle Paul, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). I wanted them to know that, with the...
OPINION —Boaz is a town about as big as your average water heater closet. It was a quiet night. The sun had set. Houses were lit from the insides.The Bevill Center was packed. The parking lot was slammed. Families of all kinds gathered in the...
OPINION — When Dean and I were enjoying a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, I thought about that day when Peter and Andrew, and James and John, heard the call of Jesus. They were ordinary fishermen, fishing for a living, tending their...
OPINION — KAILUA, Hawaii — It’s dark outside. It’s late. Or is it early? Hard to remember. Been a long day.Here she comes. Jogging. People are cheering. They should be. She just finished swimming 2.4 miles, pedaling 112 miles and running 26...