In the somber remembrance of a crucifixion, followed by the joyful celebration of resurrection, many of us have once again reflected on events that solved one of the longstanding mysteries of the Bible. For thousands of years, the identity of the Savior of the world was a mystery. The promise of One whose heel would [...]
Made for the rich, used by the poor; Unexpected by friends, feared by enemies; Filled with death; emptied by life; Wanted by none, needed by all; Saying nothing, declaring everything; Explained with a lie, revealing the truth;Denied in time, believed forever. What confidence is this, and what difference has it made?
Needed by all, deserved by none; a life for death, a death for life; in one, all; for all, one; by rejection, acceptance; by weakness, strength; in sorrow, joy; in right, made wrong; for wrong, made right; by injustice, justice; through judgment, mercy; through despair, hope. What love is this, and what difference could it [...]
It’s been around for awhile. You’ve probably heard it and know the answer. But it stumped me. Instead of mulling it over for a day or even ten minutes, I cheated and went to the answer page to get the answer… to: What is greater than God, more evil than the devil? The poor have [...]
Arwa was 12 years old, frightened by the wail of air raid sirens and deafened by the concussions of falling bombs. Desperate to do something, anything to escape the terror and confusion, she grabbed her 8 year old sister Adra, and together they began to run. With nowhere to go, they ran, chased by the [...]
Syncretism is an interesting subject. We see an example not only in Dr Livingstone’s Sechele, but also in the life of Solomon. 1Kings 3 indicates that Solomon, the young king of Israel, took a peace bride by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. Born in the home of a warrior king, Solomon probably had his fill of killing [...]
Many of our generation probably know little more about a legendary African missionary, doctor, and explorer than the smile of “Dr Livingstone I presume?” While some question the historicity of those actual words, they apparently were reported by the New York Herald Newspaper in 1869. The Herald had sent Henry Morton Stanley to Africa to [...]
An article on the BBC news website describes the process by which experts have affirmed the authenticity of a violin that was played by the bandleader of the Titanic. As I thought about the eerie irony of an orchestra playing during the 1912 tragedy at sea that took the lives of 1500 people, the biblical [...]
We’ve been looking at the tension between Jesus the peacemaker, and the Disturber who said, “Don’t think that I’ve come to bring peace, but a sword.” Together we’ve thought about how the Teacher carried out his mission of reconciliation while creating so much conflict in the process. His Sermon on the Mount is no exception. [...]
When I wrote about diplomacy and the art of peacekeeping in the last post, some thought I was suggesting that we negotiate or compromise on important truths. Admittedly, that would not be a good thought. Unhealthy compromise should be a concern. So let’s narrow our focus to the idea of interests vs. values, which according [...]
My friend Joann had a strong desire to become a concert pianist and to travel and perform as either a soloist or as a piano accompanist. While majoring in piano…
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