Jesus' example in prayer
We often connect Lazarus' story in John 11:1-44 to the story found in Luke 10:38-42 that reveals the difference between how Mary and Martha responded to Jesus . . .
Mary is pictured as the one who sits at Jesus feet listening to what He has to say and Martha is pictured as the one who focuses on serving.
Other times…
“there’s probably no God”
In February 2009, an atheist group in the UK purchased ad space on the side of 800 buses as well as 1,000 posters on London’s trains that read, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” A Christian group, the Trinitarian Bible Society, responded by launching a rival ad campaign splashing a Bible verse, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 53:1” (KJV)—along with details on how to obtain a Bible—on 183 buses in London.
magical green stick
When the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy was a child, he believed in a magical green stick that could destroy all evil. His lifelong yearning for moral perfection in himself may have grown out of that childish belief. He never found it, yet his writings reveal his acute understanding of human depravity and God’s holiness.
the desert road
Apparently someone connected with Google has a sense of humor. In one recent Google Maps route from Japan to China, as expected, a long list of detailed directions populated the page. But if you scrolled down further, it told you to “kayak across the Pacific Ocean.” Following those instructions would have made for one long journey across the expansive body of water!
enjoy God
The crewmembers of an international airline that makes a daily flight to Uganda stay at a hotel down the street from my home. During their 24 hours in the country, many of them visit my organization, Tukutana, and spend time with children in our programs. The guests often bring gifts. This past Friday, though, two women came empty-handed. Instead of…
transience
When Sinclair Lewis, Nobel Prize winner for Literature, died and was cremated in 1951, his ashes were sent to Rome’s American embassy for disposal. One morning a visitor noticed a worker on her knees with a dustpan and broom. Next to her was an overturned urn. When asked what she was doing, she replied nonchalantly, “Sweeping up Sinclair Lewis.” What…
June 25, 2012
Brother Lawrence wrote, “I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of God. For my part I keep myself retired with Him in the depth of centre of my soul as much as I can.” What does this mean to you?
faithful lament
Last year we watched with sorrow and concern as an earthquake, tsunami, and ensuing nuclear disaster rocked Japan. MSNBC captured a particularly heart-wrenching photograph of 4-year-old Manami Kon having the sad occasion to practice her recently learned ability to write. Manami slowly penned a letter to her mom who had been missing since the quake: “Dear Mommy, I hope you’re…
taking God for granted
I’m not going to join the track team again! I said that to myself countless times during my years in school. But every track season, there I was, back on the team.
Why did I have a love/hate relationship with track? The training! During practice, we pushed our perceived physical limits and strove for perfection. And all that training led…
searching
Recently, archaeologist Eilat Mazar found fortifications that were built in Jerusalem some 3,000 years ago. She believes that they were constructed by Solomon, as described in the Old Testament. Her unearthed evidence strongly rebuts what secular scholars believe: “that David’s [and Solomon’s] monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no strong government to speak of in that era.” Eilat’s…
waiting
We have some friends, a young married couple, living with us. Finished with one part of their university studies, they’ve applied to a variety of graduate schools to continue their coursework. But they have no idea where they will end up. The possibilities are all over the map—from Boston to Vancouver to Pittsburgh to Atlanta. They’ve filled out many applications…
be on guard
Last year on Christmas Eve, a New York cab driver found more than $21,000 in cash and jewelry left in his cab by an Italian tourist. He drove more than 50 miles to return the possessions to an address he found in the purse. The woman wasn’t home, so he left a note that contained his phone number. The tourist…
sacred sickness
So here I sit in my sweatpants. Not exactly the corporate casual attire we usually wear in the office. That’s because—due to sickness—I’ve been out of the office the past two days. I picked up a “bug” that my body has been battling. It’s not a big deal—far from what I experienced during the three times I’ve gone toe-to-toe with…
