mistaken identity
Although we’re 5 years apart, people often confuse me with my older sister. From the staff at my favorite coffee shop to my sister’s nursing students, we have many stories of people who try to ask me a medical question or who talk to her about writing. The mix-up seems humorous to us, because we don’t see the similarities that others view so clearly.
born twice
The other day I noticed a bumper sticker on the back of an SUV that read, “Born right, the first time.” I can’t be certain, but there’s a good chance the message is a reaction against being “born again” as a believer in Jesus.
The phrase “born again” originated with Jesus. In John 3, Jesus told a religious leader by…
buried alive
Medical students in Taiwan are being buried alive. This practice, which sounds like it could lead to a serious shortage of Taiwanese doctors in a few years, doesn’t actually lead to death. The docs-in- training at Rende Medical College are simply placed in a sealed coffin for a period of 10 minutes. Why? To give them insights into death and to…
hearts and the Spirit
Our Sunday School lesson was from John 3, the story about Nicodemus trying to understand Jesus' assertion that he must be born again of the Spirit. This was a hard teaching for an adult to grasp even with Jesus as the teacher, yet it is a pivotal Christian doctrine. My mind travelled back to a trip to Hollywood Boulevard in…
oscar ewolo's transformation
Born in the Congo and raised in France, Oscar Ewolo dreamed of playing in the World Cup. Today, as captain of Congo’s football team, he has a chance of realizing that dream. But when Oscar was 14, his father died, and his life had begun to disintegrate. “It was as if my whole family was dying on the inside,” Oscar…
cultural christianity
Every culture contains values that may compromise the gospel. The early church was too Platonic, the medieval church too Aristotelian, the modern church too Enlightenment, and now the postmodern church is becoming too pluralistic. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 57 percent of evangelical churchgoers believe that other religions may lead…
