I have recently stumbled upon an interesting book, filled with insight into our peculiarly American culture and way of life: Euphemania, by Ralph Keyes (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010). The title of this book tells you precisely what … (read more)
A few days ago, I stood at the foot of a graven marble slab in the city of Hequ, in the province of Shanxi, where the Yellow River meets the Great Wall of China. The stone is a monument to … (read more)
Recently I have browsed again The Bondage of the Will, by Martin Luther. The book is a bracing experience. The Bondage of the Will was published in 1525 in reply to Desiderius Erasmus, who had published On Free Will the … (read more)
A pair of my dear friends has recently had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem. The visit was on their “bucket list,” they told me once – and now they have made it a reality. What a wonderful time they had! … (read more)
“Object permanence” is a concept from the field of developmental psychology. I remember reading about the idea many years ago, while completing a degree in the field. The phenomenon was researched and described in detail by Jean Piaget, the famous … (read more)
I love Trinity Sunday: edgy, powerful, mysterious, provocative Trinity Sunday. It falls, often enough, now in the month of May. It is celebrated on the Sunday following Pentecost. There is mystery here. Trinity Sunday reminds us that God is beyond … (read more)
It has become fashionable in some circles to propose an even-handed, levelheaded, non-extreme interpretation of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Something a bit less dramatic (and a bit more manageable) than the Victorious Lord of Life crashing out of his … (read more)
It is Lenten time. I have been thinking about a set of passages at the heart of the Lenten season – the “Servant Songs,” in the wonderful book of Isaiah. You will recognize these songs, I am sure (Isaiah 42:1-4; … (read more)
I have been thinking lately about stone jars. Stone jars figured prominently in the gospel text for the Second Sunday of Epiphany, read all around the world a few weeks ago. I was visiting friends and colleagues in India at … (read more)
This month we reach the conclusion of our 75th anniversary year celebration. We have outlined eight decades of our mission history over the course of the last twelve months. So now what? Deeper We must go deeper. Spiritual maturity is … (read more)