The Trouble with Prophets ||Here he comes. Quick, dodge out of sight, close the door, don't answer the phone. This one brings trouble. |We honor prophets at a distance. Up close we squirm. "Beat your swords into plowshares...do ...

They Brought Us to this Place|Jesus is born of Mary but his lineage traces back through Joseph. Before Jesus' birth in Matthew's gospel comes the genealogy of names, familiar and strange. A guiding thread runs through the ...

What Lasts?||"When we're in heaven, will we have friends?" wondered my son. "What would you do for eternity without some friends?" His brother snorted, already convinced that such conjecture is pointless. That talk goes ...

As if We Were Dreaming Millions of people throughout the world leave home to find work. They cross borders to live in crowded apartments in a land of strangers. They slaughter cows, repair roofs, tend children, harvest ...

The Gift of Being Here||Herod was perplexed by the reports of Jesus. This one seemed different from the rest.|Vanity of vanities. All is vanity.|The tone of Ecclesiastes is weary as the turning of the earth.|We are born ...

I Thirst||In the very sick baby room, Ziggy lies in the first crib. Arms and legs beating like sticks; restless and whining he spends his day. He stretches after each spoonful of cereal but swallows little. Feeding takes ...

Out of the Holding Pattern||Prophets talk tough. Most of us prefer gentle reminders and constructive criticism. Prophecy with a light touch. But Jeremiah delivers jolts as he begs his people to come back. His vision is ...

A Christmas Prayer | | Age after age, our people have waited so long. The dreamless nights. The hard climb. Our weary hearts. Our feet are sore. The disappointments have been mounting for quite some time. Eyes cast ...

A House Built on Rock||In the animated film Happy Feet, the first baby penguin to dive into the ocean had slid on the ice and slipped over the edge. Mumble, the misfit, hit the water first. The other fledglings, stirred ...

God of the Hollows|The woman, it's said, was barren. The long, long wait had turned hopeless and then resigned. Now they were old and shame had aged with them. Sadness barely creased their faith. Years went into accepting ...