20 years had passed since Jacob left home, on the run for lying his way into more than his share of the family inheritance. Now he was coming back, with 2 wives, 12, children and large herds of animals. As the sun set, Jacob would once again try to fall asleep with his head full […]
Honor to whom honor is due… When we consider any soldier who has died or been wounded in the service of others, and when we consider how many have paid that ultimate price, we have only begun to consider the inequalities of life… Jesus knew we’d consider him and his Father unfair. He told a […]
Today in the United States we do what people of every nation do. We honor those who have given their lives for our own. As we do, we answer one of the most important questions ever asked: What do we owe those who paid the ultimate price for their own land and people? In the […]
Could one of our problems be that we are trying to think our way to God? That thought comes, surprisingly, from a Calvin College professor of philosophy. In a Christianity Today Online interview of James Smith, a professional thinker observes, “Human beings are at their core defined by what they worship rather than primarily by […]
Once again “end of the world” associations are being given to a natural disaster. For example, an online video shows video of the destruction observed by a survivor who emerges from a storm cellar to capture images of apocaplyptic destruction.. The only audible words are, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” Other survivors […]
On May 13 Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield returned to earth after almost 5 months in the International Space Station. After 144 days of weightlessness, Chris said his return to earth felt like a car crash. Suddenly he and his two crew members were lying on their side, looking out the window of their Russian space […]
Genesis tells about a God who spoke into existence insects and everything else that we see and sense (Gen 1:24). This God says the word. Something comes out of nothing. Light pushes back the darkness. Order emerges out of chaos (Gen 1:1-3). In the resulting paradise God begins sharing his life with children bearing a […]
Somewhere in the Bible it implies that Jesus would be treated like a snake, for us. It’s a stunning thought, especially when we think about the fact that Satan is pictured in Genesis and Revelation as the great serpent and deceiver of the world. Yet Jesus, himself, makes the connection between himself and the snake. […]
Recurring tensions in this blog reflect the history of our faith. In every century followers of Christ have had a running disagreement about how much emphasis to give to law and/or grace. One side thinks the other tends to emphasize grace to the point of moral license. The other side thinks their counterparts are morally […]
The report of three women found alive in Cleveland, Ohio after they went missing about a decade ago is the kind of news we could live for. While much information isn’t yet available, it appears that all three were abducted in separate incidents and held captive, for 10 years, in a normal looking home with […]
A French news report told the story of a young field dog that jumped on its deer-hunting master in a playful show of affection. When the pup’s paw caught the trigger of the hunter’s firearm, the gun accidentally discharged, resulting in the loss of the owner’s hand. The victim later blamed himself for not having […]
