Today is the birthday of poet Walt Whitman. I tend to think of Mr. Whitman as a rather self-indulgent poet (song of myself, me, me, ME!), but I rather like this particular snippet and use it frequently to explain (or not) myself. (And who am I, blogger that I am, to accuse anyone else of self-indulgence and egotism?)

“Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.”

Do fish feel pain? My vegetarian daughter and I had a discussion recently on the advisability and morality of killing and eating animals. This article touches at least tangentially on some of the things we were discussing. Bottom line: “Whether fish, fowl or mammal, neurological pain happens to us all. It’s the capacity for suffering that remains up for dispute.” Other bottom line: I’m still a carnivore, and my daughter is still vegetarian.

Then another kind of fish story: The Golden Fish: How God Woke Me up in a Dream by Eric Metaxas, in CHristianity Today. Mr. Metaxas is now a leader at the ministry, Breakpoint, that was begun by the late Chuck Colson. The article I linked to tells the unusual story of how God showed him his need for Christ in a dream . . . about a fish.

Tomorrow is beginning of June. Get a head start on June Celebrations, Links, and Birthdays.