Lord, teach me. . . .

The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that. –Harper Lee There’s a trend lately trying to get folks back into Bible reading, church going and such. And many times, church leaders will remind us: You just need to read the Bible and do what it tells you to do . Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But I wonder, really, what they mean by “read the Bible and do what it tells you to do.” If you land in Leviticus, does it mean the part about only wearing clothing made of single fibers, or only growing a single crop in the garden ( Leviticus 19 )? If you’re reading Psalms and truly believe God answers prayers, are you hoping the L ORD will slay those whom you deem wicked—maybe just because you disagree ( Psalm 139 )? Sometimes, I’m afraid, these are exactly the parts of Scripture folks would choose to uphold, while ignoring the Love that abounds, even in our Old Testament. Do Justi...

Patience is not simply the ability to wait—it’s how we behave while we’re waiting. –Joyce Meyer It’s been quite the month, not only here in the States, but in other nations, as well. Hurricanes and forest fires in the US; floods and famine in Indonesia. Modern-day genocide in Myanmar. Locally, break-ins and other crimes seem to loom ever closer, threatening our sense of security. Turning on the evening news can leave one anxious and wondering: What does it all mean? Are we living in the end times? I’m certainly not qualified to answer those questions; however, Jesus himself reminds us that no one knows the day and hour, except the Father ( Matthew 24:36 ). Let me offer another question: What practical difference does it make in the way we live our lives? Throughout the New Testament, Jesus tells parables reminding us what the Kingdom of God will be like, and how we are called to participate in that Kingdom. Whether we are like leaven working goodness through the...

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you cannot hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. –Harriet Beecher Stowe September 10 was World Suicide Prevention Day . Take a moment and reflect: Every year, over 800,000 people die by suicide; up to twenty-five times that many attempt to end their lives. While that statistic is staggering, each one of those people is more than a statistic. Each one of them is someone’s child, someone’s parent, someone’s lover, someone’s friend. And many of their deaths might have been preventable. For many people, one of the hardest things to do can be to ask for help. Starting that conversation with someone considering suicide is really, really tough. Even harder is listening. Listening to someone try to explain the pain. Listening for honest answers to tough questions. Listening and saying nothing—just listening. Openly ...

A blessing is a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal and strengthen them.”  –John O’Donohue Sometimes we use a word freely and often, and may not have really stopped to think about what it means. For me, blessing is one of those words. The “dictionary definition” makes blessing something God does, and to bless something is to ask God’s favor on someone or something. But in Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, he turns this idea around a little. Drawing from God’s calling of Abram (Genesis 12), Paul charges the church not simply to ask God’s blessing, but to be God’s blessing. As we work, as we play—as we love, Paul reminds us to step down and step back. It’s not about us. It is about who God created us to be. As the Body of Christ, we each have a role to play: some are teachers; some, preachers; some offer abundant hospitality. We are not all called to serve or love in the same way. As Paul puts it (via Eugene Peterson’s The Message ): Love fro...

Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both directions. –Margaret Thatcher A long time ago, before Play Station and X-Box, there was . . .  Atari. One of the few games for Atari that I remember and enjoyed was Frogger . The premise behind Frogger was that the player is a frog trying to cross the road without getting smashed flat by high-speed traffic. I was never very good at it, but enjoyed trying to hop my way across the Interstate. As children, our parents remind us not to play in the street. It’s just not a good idea, what with cars and all! But sometimes in life, things happen that force us, really, to leave the safety of the sidewalks and get involved. Now might be just one such time. In many corners of the world, including our corner, civil rights are being ignored. Some folks are deciding they deserve more , at the expense of others not like them. Some folks are even claiming God is ordaining them ...

In this scene set in sadness like the night is here to stay, There is evil cast around us but it’s Love that wrote the play, And through this darkness, Love will show the way. –David Wilcox The past week (or more) has been very difficult; August 12 marked a very ugly day in Charlottesville, Virginia. Fresh young faces, theoretically the future of our country, were twisted in rage as they marched for all the world to see, trying to convince that same world that they are somehow better than everyone else because their skin is white. But then Love kicked in. Here in Cleveland, a group calling themselves Indivisible CLE, diverse in so many ways, shared prayers, hugs and pleas to love one another, period. In Denver, Colorado, over a thousand people gathered near a statue of Martin Luther King to sing, to pray, to remind those who had forgotten that This land was made for you and me. In cities across southern Florida, peaceful candlelight vigils were held. I...

As you say goodbye to lingering disappointments and unattended grief, you will discover that every person, situation and painful incident comes bearing gifts.  –Debbie Ford There’s a quote from someone, along the lines of, “The minute you say hello, you begin to prepare to say goodbye.” It may sound trite, but it’s true. No one goes through life without saying goodbye many, many times; from the day we first head off to school, cheerfully (or tearfully) waving goodbye, our lives are filled with departures. Some goodbyes feel more like good riddance; most feel more like a piece of our heart is being cut out. Even as we profess a belief in so much more beyond this life, saying goodbye to someone hurts, especially when they’ve been part of our lives for a long time. What to do? How to lessen the pain of saying goodbye? I wish I had some really great answers here, but I don’t. A lifetime of experience hasn’t made it any easier. Here’s what I’ve learned: Most important,...