Doctor Luke records a parable of Jesus. It is about a nobleman who, before going on a journey, entrusts three servants with varying amounts of money to invest for him. He is a “hard man.” The first two invest their amounts and earn a good return, apparently doubling their stakes. The third, however, to whom […]
how much is a million
When you pray, be careful what you pray—I’m serious, be very careful. In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples (also called “The Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father”), one part says: “Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors.” Some translations use the word “sins” or “transgressions” in place of debts, […]
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the primary election in Michigan. I’ll be glad when it is over, with the mailings and robocalls escalating to the point of being ridiculous. We’ve been receiving multiple items from the same candidate on the same day. door-to-door campaigning is ridiculous—one-day last week, three people stopped by! I’ve given up answering the […]
As I read the prophetic book of Nahum, I see a familiar sounding passage:“Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (Nahum 1:15). I find a similar text in Isaiah: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace…” […]
morning
Reviewed by Peter DeHaan Nomadic traveler, Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), shows up unexpectedly at a rural French village and creates quite a stir. A non-catholic, unmarried mom, and free spirit, she is not like the intransigent townsfolk. To make matters worse, she has the audacity to open up a chocolate shop across from the church—during […]
When we lost power last weekend, there were high winds at the time. Very high. To my dismay, the next morning I spotted three birds’ nests that had been ripped from my trees by the gusty gale. Although saddened by the loss of home for my animal friends, I was encouraged that most of the […]
If we’re not careful, it’s all too easy to end up doing things that, at best, are secondary, and at worst, don’t matter at all. Such was the case of the people of Israel a few millennia ago. The prophet Amos states that God is critical of their religious gatherings, their offerings, and their music. […]
Last weekend we decided to watch a DVD. The only problem was that we were in the middle of a power outage. Undaunted, we gathered around a laptop and popped in the DVD. It would not play; something about a missing plug-in. Although frustrating, we moved to a second laptop. The DVD played fine — until the battery […]