I haven’t been sworn at very many times in my life. When it does happen, I find it unpleasant. At the most recent occurrence, I was exiting an airplane. Delayed by several hours already, I was about to miss the second connecting flight to my final destination. As we lingered in the indeterminable moment between the aircraft taxiing to a stop and the finally door opening, I stood at the ready, suitcase on my shoulder and eyes
Death can be unthinkable. Some time ago, I was seated behind a young friend of mine in small evening worship service. Her mother had recently received a late-stage diagnosis of a serious illness. I was heart-worn already that day, and my usual shields set up against imagining tragedy slipped. Her youthful frame
Do you aspire to be a spiritual leader? I’ve never been a stranger to ambition. Since childhood I’ve wanted to fix the world and punish fools. Fortunately, since then, the Lord has shown me that I would fall among the fools if I tried.
Yet, the desire to make a difference has lived on. Those
Sometimes, life is disappointing.
Lately, I learned that one of my high school friends just got divorced. Most of the children of a pastor influential in my childhood are hostile to the Lord. And if I lose my stainless-steel straw anytime in the next year, I might as well have been using plastic the whole time.
I aired
You’re on the treadmill doing some light cardio to finish off a Tuesday morning workout next to your believing gym-buddy Melissa. Chatting about plans for the weekend, Melissa comments, “Lent starts on Monday.” “Lent?” you repeat, bemused. “Yes, for the Orthodox, Lent starts on a Monday,” she says. “You’re probably used to
