We recently talked about the fact that there is a logic to faith even as there is also a mystery. According to the disciple who not only walked on water for a few seconds, but later denied that he ever even knew Jesus, faith expresses itself first in a desire and choice for virtue…rather than […]
Yesterday I mentioned that we are working on some video and web-based programs that tell the stories of some courageous men who have been willing to talk about their escape from pornography. The men told their stories in an empty warehouse that provides a visual backdrop for the lonely, secret obsession that had been consuming […]
Toward the end of our last conversation about “What Michael Phelps Needed”, one of our friends raised a question that is too important to be lost at the end of a string of comments. The question comes to us like this: “Why did God create [Michael Phelps] to be such a great swimmer and give […]
Now we know. Michael Phelps has made believers out of us. His hope of breaking Mark Spitz’s 1972 Olympic record of seven gold medals was not just hype. But as impressed as I am by his dominance of Olympic waters, and his endurance of swimming 17 races in 9 days, what Michael repeatedly acknowledged in […]
In many regions of the world “ministers” are public servants. Their civil “ministry” is to act in behalf of a government department that operates from a building that in turn is referred to as “the Ministry”. Kurdistan has a Ministry of Justice. India has a Ministry of Environment and Forests. Thailand has a Ministry of […]
Someone has said, “Wise are those who look at others with the same generosity they offer themselves, and who look at themselves with the same critical eye they have for others.” Yet as balanced and insightful as that quote is, it is not the whole story. Questions remain, especially for those of us who want […]
Some of us tend to think in terms of black-and-white, clear-cut categories. To us, a statement or a conclusion is either true or false. Others are more likely to see how the same statement might be either true or false depending on the circumstances. Some of us work from a truth model which might say, […]
In this Olympic and election year, I’ve been thinking again about the way competition surfaces in every area of our lives. It shows up not only in sports, but in education, business, and science. Media networks compete for ratings, religious groups for our minds and hearts, politicians for our votes, and companies for our money. […]
“Houston, we’ve had a problem.” Two days into the Apollo 13 moon landing mission, and almost 200,000 miles from earth, a spacecraft oxygen tank exploded. Cabin air, water, and power supply were suddenly in danger. Mission Control had to overcome enormous challenges to get the crew home. Since that crisis in space, the expression “Houston, […]
On a wall in our kitchen and dining room area hangs a painted board that says, “Live Simply, Laugh Often, Love Deeply.” Unfortunately, a sign on the wall doesn’t assure that those who live under it will follow it’s counsel. But this week, at least some of these words to live by seem especially appropriate […]
