hospitality to strangers
In 2011, marine biologists around the globe were fixated on a pod of sperm whales in the North Atlantic Ocean; they had adopted a bottlenose dolphin calf. Jens Krause, a German behavioral ecologist, told one news source that sperm whales have “never been known to mingle this closely with another species.” Apparently the young dolphin had a spinal defect and couldn’t swim fast enough to keep up with other dolphins. But surprisingly, the sperm whales gathered the struggling dolphin into their fold.
happy new year!
Happy New Year!” “Have a joyous New Year!” We will hear a lot of these greetings today. And you’ll find yourself saying them to others too. Undoubtedly, we hope that 2014 will be a blessed and joyous year for us. The psalmist articulated his desire for happy days ahead with this confident affirmation: “Joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God” (Psalm 146:5).
a wonder
Several years ago, my family and I were able to travel to the sunny state of Arizona in the US. Unforgettable, the land revealed its varied wonders—from the intricate architecture of early Native Americans to the brilliance of the sun reflecting on the untainted snow lining a volcanic crater to the indescribable expanse of the Grand Canyon. Some experiences might be called great; others engage us beyond our sensory response.
a destructive god
There are two essential spiritual truths that we ignore at our peril. The first is that a variety of “gods” seek our allegiance. The second is that we take on the qualities of the gods we worship. Jesus described money as one of these alternative gods, and the secular world is now telling us how worshiping this god affects us.…
love like i'm leavin'
Autumn is a constant reminder that “change” is the only constant. What today might be green, tomorrow begins its change to yellow, possibly light gold, eventually turning darker and darker to the rich hues of oranges, red, and brown. So, too, in our lives, we are never promised more than the next breath, the next heartbeat.
The psalmist David writes in…
every sparrow
My mother, so dignified and proper for her entire life, now lay in a hospice bed—held captive by debilitating age. Quivering from mini-strokes and struggling for breath, her deathly condition defied the gorgeous spring day that danced tantalizingly on the other side of the windowpane.
I had already played out this scenario numerous times in my mind. Yet all the…
beautiful expressions
Last spring, in Stephenville, TX, a 28-year-old wife and mother, Brandi Todd, experienced a brutal attack that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She had been sitting on a bench, watching her children play at the local municipal park, when a mentally ill stranger approached and stabbed her in the back, nearly severing her spinal cord.
“It knocked my…
too soon
Why, God? Why would you take one so young? Why do they have to endure so much pain? These questions have been running through my mind this morning. A young couple I know lost a baby just a day after he had been born with complications. The two have already been through so much in the past few years—a miscarriage, job…
love your enemies
I may not love God as I should, but I’m determined to get a handle on it. I may not love my family the way I should, but I intend to work at it. I may not love my neighbor as I should—but I’ll keep trying. But love my enemy? Wow. That seems impossible!
Here’s why it’s so difficult. Enemies scheme,…
when the world falls apart
We are obsessed with success. An entire industry revolves around Guinness World Records, cataloging stuff like the longest beard, the fastest 40-meter wheelbarrow race, and the most T-shirts worn at once. We have meticulous lists of all the record holders, but nobody remembers the losers.
Unfortunately, this fascination with all things triumphant has corroded our spiritual pursuits. We can begin to…
God's patience
Nearly one-third of the recorded teachings of Jesus in the Gospels are parables. It’s said that a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” Jesus was the Master teacher who taught with simplicity, clarity (Matthew 13:54), and great authority (7:28-29). So much so, that the leading priests, teachers of the law, and elders asked Him, “By what authority…
does anyone care?
Those who have suffered severe loss often lament that their day of tragedy seemed like a normal day for everyone else. On the day they were fired, learned of their cancer, discovered their spouse was unfaithful, or held a child as she died—on that very day other people went about their business as usual. My divorce is final! My beloved…
tender talk
Sheryl Crow gets it—at least when it comes to loneliness. Many of her song lyrics express our longing for relationships and the questions that bubble to the surface when we live in isolation for too long. Does anybody want me? Does anybody need me? What will I do if the answer is “no”?
For Hagar, the answer was no, and…
