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I was reminded today of three things that help me maintain balance during times of disruption and crisis: times like today’s COVID-19 pandemic, times like December 7, 1945 (Pearl Harbor), and times when we find it hard to agree with or even understand our neighbors. This week I am coping with my first infection of…

What is clean language? Anger is an emotion that grips everyone at some point in life. You don’t have to give yourself over to anger, no matter how much it beckons you. Movies, sports, television and even the lives of celebrities and politicians are full of episodes of anger. Are not acts of terrorism acts…

So many of us are seeking but not perceiving. Hearing aids have been a great help to my wife, whose ears have deteriorated over the past few years. (Mine have, too!) Last evening, she came to bed with the hearing aids on. When she woke up, one of the devices was missing. The other was…

A casual perusal of the Old Testament, in general, and the Pentateuch, in particular, will show that personal cleanliness or hygiene was important to God and the Israelites. In Christianity, personal cleanliness goes beyond the physical aspect, as it is viewed as a reflection of one’s spiritual purity and devotion to God. Embracing personal cleanliness…

“Oh God, come to our assistance.  Lord, make haste to help me.” Lord, it feels like we are living within a great envelope of desperation.  Disease is knocking us off balance.  Social unrest reflects the desperation that is so evident around the globe.  Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones produce untold misery.  Wars wreak havoc among peoples…

We are in a world at war. We are not on a luxury cruise ship navigating life. We are fighting in the sands of Iwo Jima, Normandy Beach, and Gallipoli. If your worldview is that life is a luxury vacation, you will always be blaming God for why bad things happen to good people. However,…

Where is your faith in a time of crisis? During times of crisis and disruption, we often find ourselves in anguish and asking, “Why me?” We don’t understand why God would allow such a calamity to take place in our lives. I can only imagine what the survivors and families of those crushed by the…

The Anger of the Lord A prayer inspired by Jeremiah 28-30 Dare one make war against you, O God,             by speaking lies             and leading others astray? Help us, dear Lord, to see beyond the face of our adversaries.             Help us make peace with antagonists             and pray for our oppressors. Who knows…

Is there any evidence for a creator? Contrary to what some scientists claim, there is compelling philosophical and scientific evidence that a Creator of the universe exists. For example, the conditions described by the two laws of thermodynamics demand special creation.[1]1. Although no model of origins can be tested via the scientific method—since history is…

God’s Justice Lies Beyond Human Understanding A prayer inspired by Jeremiah 10-12 O Lord, let us not learn the contemptuous ways of the nations.             Help us resist walking in the path of the wicked. Indeed, you show your sovereignty in the storm.             You terrify us with natural wonders. Your hand in world affairs…