Far-off but Near the Heart of God

An Indian monsoon can suck the energy right out of you. Humidity builds and the steamy air closes in—the prequel to the relief of a rainstorm. It’s astonishing, the havoc this weather wreaks on a house. Doors swell too thick to be closed. Paint peels off the walls. Closets turn […]

Love Your Enemies

The boy put his hand up. “Why are Christians being killed in Iraq?” he asked. I looked at this brown-eyed 6-year-old boy in my Sunday School class and wondered how in the world I could begin to explain it to him. How could I explain that most Muslims are not […]

A Moment’s Notice

Have you ever paid close attention to all the little moments you have each day? Sitting on the bus, taking the subway to work, grabbing a quick meal during your thirty minute lunch break, or perhaps it’s waiting in line at your local coffee house for your morning perk. We […]

The First Day of Class

The first time I stood in front of twenty teenage boys in the Arab Gulf to teach an English class, I was terrified. I had no previous education training or experience—whatsoever. The pace at which my students spoke Arabic was torrid at a minimum, so needless to say I understood […]

Grief Beyond Words

The most intolerant people can be those who are super-serious about their religion.     I visited Jonah’s tomb in Mosul when I lived in Iraq. Now I have to say “I visited it before they blew it up.” We cry today. The fellow who speaks in Arabic at the […]

Deny Yourself: A Lesson From the Book of Luke

It was 6:00 a.m. and I was wide-awake. Not because I am an early riser, but because of jet lag. All signs were pointing to this quickly becoming a challenging day. Our team dug into our daily devotions, which focused on pursuing a lifestyle of servitude to Jesus as pictured […]

Show & Tell: Reflections on 1 Corinthians 1:18

Remember show and tell? It was stressful. How could you possibly choose? You’d want to bring your dog, your grandfather’s arrowheads, and your autographed picture of a pro figure skater. You’d line up your stuff on your bed wishing you could bring it all.  After what felt like hours but […]