Streams of Mercy
The council in Cassandra Boyson’s Seeker’s Trilogy was responsible for maintaining law and order in the name of the “Great One.” Instead, they were corrupt, singling out people they deemed different for cruel treatment. Slowly the surrounding society began to decay—reflecting the council’s immoral ways. Yet in a surprising twist, the Great One righted the wrongs of that world by providing a river that transformed all who came into contact with it.
Comforted To Comfort
“Pastor, the results came out positive. My wife has breast cancer.” When a congregation member broke this news to me one Sunday morning, I was speechless. What could I possibly say to comfort my friend in light of this bitter news? After a moment of silence, I quickly remembered the words that most comforted me when my own wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. And so with a level voice, I replied, “I want you to know that I’m here for both of you, no matter what.” He wore the same expression of gratitude that I had worn years before when a friend encouraged me with those identical words.
Mercy’s Saving Call
What is she thinking? The wedding is one week away! That thought raced through my mind as I worked on my piano music for a marriage ceremony. Though I’d tried for weeks to nail down song titles, keys, and more with the other wedding musician, the silence was deafening.
What God Wants
Many years ago, a poor orphan advertised her piano recitals in order to raise funds. Posters boldly declared that she was a pupil of the celebrated Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt—a blatant lie. To her horror, she discovered that Liszt was coming to the village where she was giving the concert. With trepidation she requested an interview with him, sobbed out her confession, and awaited his stern rebuke. Liszt acknowledged that she had been wrong, but recognized her repentance and asked her to play for him. At first she stumbled over her notes, but as she grew in confidence, she played well. He corrected her a few times and said, “My dear, now I have given you a lesson. You are a pupil of Liszt. Go on with your concert and put on the program that the last piece will be played, not by the pupil, but by the master.”
Intentional Defiance
A woman was running in a half-marathon in Ontario, Canada. It was a warm-up for the Detroit Marathon, the race in which she hoped to qualify for the renowned Boston Marathon. Somehow she missed the turn for the half-marathon and instead ran twenty-six miles—the complete marathon! Not only did she complete it, she posted the fastest time for a female runner and automatically qualified to run the Boston Marathon.
Justice and Mercy
In the wake of the devastating earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti in 2010, one philosopher wrote, “For those who believe in an all-good, all-powerful God, we’ve seen that they face a question that remains pressing after all these centuries, and which is now horribly underscored by the horrors in Haiti. If a deity exists, why didn’t he prevent this?”
the good life
On the occasion of billionaire Ted Turner’s 75th birthday last year, a CNN profile opened with these poignant words: “What will matter most about Ted Turner’s life story when they roll the final credits? That he started the first 24-hour news network? Built a fortune once worth $10 billion? Was Time magazine’s Man of the Year? Received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame? Made The New York Times best-seller list? Maybe it was that time he raced a sailboat faster than anyone else. Or the year his baseball team won the World Series. Impressed yet?”
multi-hat syndrome
A pastor recently listed 36 different “hats” he might wear. The roles included community activist, theologian, financial advisor, and life coach. These roles evolved from the different needs of churchgoers. While it’s important for all of us to respond to others’ needs, if the demands consume us, we may begin to serve people instead of serving God.
the walking dead
The Walking Dead, a critically acclaimed, award-winning postapocalyptic horror TV series, is set in the aftermath of a virus infection that turned humans into zombies—the walking dead. The series focuses on a small group of uninfected human beings, led by a deputy sheriff, seeking a safe haven from the dangerous hordes of the “walkers,” and a cure to the disease. At the end of Season 1, viewers were told that the French doctors might have found a cure. But, alas, a cure was not found that soon, for having the antidote would have signaled the premature ending of a lucrative TV series.
“we are safe!”
According to a 2010 Pew Forum on Religion report, 53 percent of Christians in the US did not know that Martin Luther was the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. So they wouldn’t know that on October 31, 1517, in the little German town of Wittenberg, Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the church door—inviting scholars to debate the use…
wrestling angels
My boys love to wrestle me. They create names like Captain Thunder and Tiger Ninja. Adrenaline peaking, they attack me with yells, a flurry of boy-energy and with hopes that this time—this time—they will take me down. I toss them for a while, even feigning desperation so as not to crush their dream prematurely. However, I eventually lock them in…
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…
share your story
Michael Dinsmore is a relatively new Christian. One day he was given an opportunity to share his testimony in a prison. It had a tremendous effect on the inmates—some of the toughest guys broke down and started crying as Michael talked. Later, a few came up to him and said, “This is the most exciting meeting we’ve ever been to!”…
simply profound
A Malaysian gangster was extorting money from a dental clinic. When the dentist gave him the cash “payment” he was forced to make, he also gave him a booklet. He said, “Read this. It’s good for you.” The gangster was angry with the dentist for giving him a religious booklet—a copy of Our Daily Bread (sister publication of Our Daily…
curses and conflicts
Conflicts. I haven’t found anyone who truly enjoys them. I, for one, will do anything possible to avoid conflicts. For I desire and strive to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14). Genesis 3:15 is about hostility and animosity. In this verse, God declares that He will cause enmity between Satan and Eve. Why would God deliberately create…
