In the towns I visited in Ecuador, I often saw people crawling across rough stone pavement, up stone steps, and across the splintery wooden floor to kneel at the church’s altar.  Their knees were often bloodied by the exercise. Somehow… Continue reading

The Academy Awards recognizes the best in the world of film. It’s a big night in Hollywood, appropriately full of glitz and glamour. Winners gush, “I want to thank my director, my producer, my loving wife …” while losers force… Continue reading

Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid? Fear can serve us well. A young man I knew died in a car accident, at least in part, because he chose not to wear his seatbelt. His overconfidence contributed to a fatal accident.… Continue reading

The news hour opened with a picture child killed by artillery shells fired into the heart of a Syrian city. The mother was screaming her anguish at no one in particular. The civil war there has gone from simmer to… Continue reading

Today is nicknamed “Fat Tuesday” because of the feasting on this day before the beginning of Lent. Some cultures mark the day with “Carnival” literally meaning ‘goodbye to the flesh’- marking the beginning of fasting for Lent;  the 40 day… Continue reading

I remember building my first computer network, probably about 20 years ago. Tim brought the hardware and we spent the day, connecting my PC, the secretary’s PC, and a printer. Now, my PC is networked to millions of computers, worldwide,… Continue reading

I am reading through Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, a 16threcord of Christian sacrifice. I haven’t picked it up in 30 years and, it is deeply speaking to my life about my own willingness to identify with Christ at any cost.… Continue reading

At various times, major problems have crept into my life for which I had no immediate answers. No amount of study, reflection, or effort seemed to change those situations. To all appearances, as time passed they went from bad to… Continue reading

I brought a  dozen red roses home last night. I paid twice what they are worth. I bought a folded, decorated piece of paper that cost several dollars, too. A few years ago I bought a Valentine’s card (just for… Continue reading

When he was 18 or 19, Jay bought a Jeep Wrangler. One afternoon, he decided to go ‘off-roading’ in the deep woods. On a trail better suited to a small four-wheeler, he drove into a low spot as he over-estimated… Continue reading