widows and children
Widows were the epitome of the destitute and desperate in ancient Jewish society. In his gospel, Luke often wrote of widows and their journeys of faith: the prophetess Anna who saw the newborn Messiah (Luke 2:36-38); the widow of Zarephath who ministered to Elijah (Luke 4:26; 1 Kings 17:18-19); the widow of Nain whose only son was raised from the dead by Jesus (Luke 7:11-15); and the poor widow who gave two small copper coins (Luke 21:1-4). Luke also records Jesus telling a parable about a persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), encouraging His listeners “to always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1).
another advocate
When I was asked to say a few words at the farewell dinner for a friend who was emigrating, I Googled for some help. Here’s a sampling of what I found: “Every goodbye makes the next hello closer.” “It is the end of something simple and the beginning of everything else.” That last quote got me thinking about what Jesus…
unshackled
Clad in bright yellow shirts, the women were hard to miss. Shackled and standing in line, some of the suspected prostitutes covered their faces with their hands. People who witnessed this spectacle of shame raged online, claiming that many women resort to prostitution to feed their families. The nation’s government responded by creating a new law to ban the practice…
gone home
One of my favorite movies is the 1982 science fiction blockbuster E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. The movie ends with an emotional scene as E.T. says goodbye to his young friend Elliot. Before entering the spaceship, E.T. tells him, “I’ll be right here,” pointing his glowing finger to Elliott’s head. E.T. then walks into the spaceship and takes off, leaving a rainbow in…
