In the February 2 issue of Newsweek magazine’s “Beliefwatch”, Lisa Miller, writes, “You likely believe that when you die, you’re going to heaven. More than 80 percent of Americans do. But in what form? Are you “you”? If so, are you old or young, fat or thin? If not, what are you? An angel? A […]
The “Sh’ma” of Israel is at the heart of her monotheism. it represents the first Hebrew words of a prayer, central to the morning and evening prayers of observant Jewish people. “Hear O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the […]
Have you noticed that the right answer can be regarded as proof of being wrong? For instance, when Larry King or another talk show host asks Christian guests whether they believe that receiving Christ is the only way to heaven, a “yes” answer can be taken as proof that the guest has been shown to […]
The devil who shows up in the first two chapters of the book of Job is both articulate and intelligent. So are the friends of Job who unintentionally sided with “the accuser.” Both used truth/half-truths… not to lift Job up… but to knock him down. I remember temporarily losing a few notches in my hat […]
The argument was intense. A man was suffering and he didn’t know why. His friends thought they understood what God was doing. They tried to tell him what was really happening. But they said more than they knew. They had some good insight about God, but were wrong in the way they used it to […]
If for no other reasons than the trouble in which we find ourselves, and the hopes that have been inspired by the grueling, successful campaign of Barack Obama, this is a momentous day for the United States and for the world. The opinions that have swirled around our president-elect remind me of something in the […]
Born in 1947, I grew up during the years of the civil rights movement. But looking back I was insulated and isolated from the struggle of those whose lives were bound up with the cause so eloquently and courageously expressed by Martin Luther King. Over the last few days, I’ve been deeply moved to see […]
When you get a chance I wish you’d watch this brief YouTube clip called “Smart Dog” and then see if it helps to illustrate the following perspective on the Bible. And if you’re wondering whether the dog’s “intelligence” is faked, here’s an in the studio before a live audience angle that is more convincing. Seems […]
Some events help us reflect on the bigger story of our lives. The heroic actions of ”Sully”, a veteran pilot who safely landed 155 passengers of an Airbus A320 on the frigid waters of the Hudson River… after being brought down by a flock of birds… is one of those events. The rescue of US Airways […]
Just read something I find hard to believe. Found it in a short article by Liz Szabo writing for USA Today. She says that, according to a report released online in The New England Journal of Medicine, “Eight hospitals reduced the number of deaths from surgery by more than 40% by using a checklist that […]
On one occasion, Jesus reminded his listeners that “a house divided will not stand” (Mark 3:25). In another setting, he said, “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, […]
With words we bless and curse, agree and disagree, expose truth, or hide it. With words we also label, name-call, and characterize in ways that can make it difficult to separate facts from perceived guilt by association. (Caught a picture of this fellow on Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda street. Was in costume for the Jewish feast […]
What we know is that the Bible says God gave the land of the Canaanites to his chosen people to show that he is God of gods. The same Scriptures make it clear that Israel’s security in the land would depend on their faithfulness to the covenant that God made with them. According to Moses, […]
When God told Abraham that he would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him, did that mean that God-fearing people would always side with Israel against their enemies? (Gen 12:1-2). To avoid misquoting, or misapplying, the Bible, it’s important to make sure that we are drawing necessary implications rather than possible […]
With an eye on the emerging humanitarian crisis in Gaza, I expressed, in a previous post, the conviction that “It is so important for followers of Christ to rise above partisan alignments and to pray and speak out for some measure of justice, mercy, and relief for both Jewish and Arab families…” In response, one […]
As the US turns over control of the Green Zone to Iraqi authorities, and as another powerful earthquake shakes Indonesia, the eyes of the world have shifted once again to a small strip of land on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Around the world, in London, Paris, and New York, shouting crowds have taken […]
Have mentioned before my conviction that the wonders and disasters of the natural world are powerful evidence of what the Bible tells us about God, the brokenness of our world, and ourselves. For openers we have, The reminder of what God made, called good, and entrusted to us (Gen 1) The physical evidence that tells […]
A new church in our neighborhood has a sign out front that I think has such a good message for the New Year. It says, “Let’s Learn to be Different Together.” After seeing the sign for the first time, I later drove past it again to make sure that I could remember exactly what it […]
Like clockwork, each new generation rides a pendulum of reaction to “the sins of the fathers.” As grateful as we may be for the good we have inherited, we are apt to “overcorrect” what we see as the failures of our parents. Seems to me that this is happening in the way an emerging generation […]
