close to the cradle
The angels were on the verge of a brawl. As characters in our church’s nativity scene, a multitude of small girls outfitted in white gowns and halos had assembled around the cradle. Unfortunately, some eager cherubs decided that they wanted a better look at the baby. Pushing and elbowing ensued. Finally, one little girl turned to the audience and cried, “Mommy!” just before the nativity director ushered everyone off the stage.
unseen sea
Recently, I watched a video titled The Unseen Sea. Sam Christen, the flick’s creator, presented a time-lapsed look at the atmosphere over San Francisco filmed from above the clouds. At times, the clouds appeared as amethyst vapor or cottony smoke taking the shape of ocean waves churning and sweeping over the city—seemingly to bury it like the doomed city of…
God sends an angel or two . . .
In July of 2010, I was driving on a county road in Southwestern Ontario and fell asleep at the wheel. My son, who was texting at the time, was sitting beside me when he felt the car shaking as we entered a four-foot ditch. He shouted to wake me up just in time for me to swerve from a hydro…
you choose Q: what about those giants in the O.T.?
Q: Are the giants in the Old Testament God's creation or humanity's children? —Merilyn
A: “Giants” (the Nephilites) were first mentioned in Genesis 6:4. Various groups of giants were also mentioned as inhabiting the land of Canaan: the Anakites (Numbers 13:28, Deuteronomy 2:10, 9:2), the Emites (Deuteronomy 2:10), and the Rephaites or the Zamzummites (Deuteronomy 2:20)—their last king has a bed…
we many dignitaries?
One of the many traditional Christmas carols we often hear and sing this time of year is We Three Kings. It was written by John Henry Hopkins in 1857. Go ahead—sing a few lines!
Now, I hate to topple a much-loved tradition, but there were likely more than three kings who traveled afar to visit Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12). The Bible doesn’t…
angel in the doorway
He stood in the doorway with a toothy grin and an evident social awkwardness. My friend, lying in his hospital bed after having endured major surgery, deftly shooed the visitor away with one-word answers and obvious disinterest. Tom (the visitor) was also a patient. His background and behavior were rough and unpolished. A local mission was his most recent address.…
angels
I was leaving the Guangzhou train station with my ticket when I noticed a distraught Westerner bewildered by the long and jagged lines forming around her. I realized that she must be new to China because she apparently didn’t know that train stations often have ticket offices reserved especially for foreigners. I told her to follow me and I led…
