Wednesday, October 17, 2018
The man and woman knocking on my door were extremely polite. They seemed nonthreatening, so I invited them in. Seated at my dining table, they spread out their colorful and well-designed literature about the Bible and Jesus Christ. We were Christians with differing...
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
I can barely read or listen to the news these days. Why does God seem to be missing in action? The poor keep taking it on the chin, but God seems far away and out of earshot of the cries.And then I remember that in the sweep of human history and in my own life, evil...
Saturday, October 13, 2018
We tend to forget that we are dust, mere mortals, puffs of wind, and passing shadows. For all of our grand plans and mighty deeds, each of us is, in the words of Macbeth, “a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.” Or are...
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Jesus reassured his disciples and followers that he was not intent on destroying the law or the prophets but rather had come to fulfill them. Now Paul, standing before the Roman governor, must also convince the powers that be that the Way is not a cult and he has not...
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
I remember when we used to wait for things—for a handwritten letter, for photos to be developed, for the busy signal on the landline to stop chiming. In this current climate of instant gratification, we can get what we want with startling immediacy. The idea of...
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Martin Luther King advised those who wanted to participate in civil rights marches and lunch counter sit-ins: “If you can’t be nonviolent, don’t get in it.” Flesh-shredding water from fire hoses, snarling police dogs, and cigarette burns would test the resolve of...
Thursday, October 4, 2018
For the ancient Israelites, expressing love for God is the top priority of their personal and public lives. The laws, including those about offerings and sacrifices, form the basis for expressing love for God. But the Israelites begin to worship other gods while...
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
As in our own context, tax collectors in ancient Judea get no respect. Seen as traitors, tax collectors in Jesus’ context—especially those who are Jews—are working for the Romans. Their communities feel that they are collaborating with the Roman occupation. The...
