Category: Reflections

God came to us as a baby. Completely helpless and dependent. Poor. Hunted by the authorities. His birth was announced to a band of stinky shepherds. Three foreign “kings” were the only others who paid much attention. His family situation was somewhat unusual, given the whole virgin birth deal. Grew up in a nondescript, backwater […]

“Two wrongs don’t make a right!” Anyone else hear that from mom or dad, perhaps while explaining the misguided nature of your efforts to confront some perceived injustice? It’s a principle. As much as we wish otherwise, the end doesn’t justify the means. Wrong in the pursuit of right is still wrong. I’m thinking about […]

Today’s kind of a big day for me. Thirty years ago…December 5, 1987…I was installing some Christmas lights. I fell about nine feet from a roof and shattered three cervical vertebrae. In the blink of an eye, everything changed. I love this picture. It’s a lot more than just an old bald guy, his dog, […]

In any circumstance… Education is always the answer. Not schooling, but honest inquiry that says, “I want to understand. Tell me more.” Relationship is always the answer. Not Facebook friends, but connection that breaks down walls and allows us to be authentically who we were created to be. Service is always the answer. Not helping […]

We all appreciate a happy ending. Jesus taught difficult truths. His stories often reflected the nitty-gritty reality of a broken world that doesn’t guarantee happily-ever-after. The Parable Of The Lost Son, however, provides the ultimate feel-good ending. Son rejects dad, squanders family fortune on years of unsavory activity. Son becomes homeless, destitute, and desperate. Son […]

Two recent news stories caught my attention. An organization matched African orphans with U.S. couples wishing to adopt. Turns out the organization was basically stealing kids from their parents and selling them to unsuspecting couples. The kids, their parents, and the adopting couples were victims of an elaborate child trafficking scheme. Another organization sells service dogs […]

If you’re not on our side, you’re on their side. Draw a line in the sand. Rally the troops. You’re either one of us, or you’re one of them. And we all know what they’re like, right? A line in the sand arbitrarily reduces complex issues to black/white, yes/no. We all know most important matters […]

“It’s easier to be a cynic.” A guy said that a few weeks ago after I talked about hope. In his experience, hope opened the door to disappointment and heartache. Easier, he figured, to avoid the pain and resign to the inevitable. I listened. I’m sure I tried to offer some wise-sounding words of encouragement. […]

“Stone her!” Some reading took me to the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-11). I lost whatever else I was studying as I got stuck on this single fact: the Pharisees were willing to stone this woman—to death! Her life mattered less than their desire to trap Jesus and uphold […]

We’re all in this thing together. We awaken this morning to images of destruction as Hurricane Irma grinds its way north. Now begins the massive task of response. I admire those who step forward, who are able and willing to assist their neighbors in the immediate aftermath of massive disasters like Irma and Harvey. If […]