April 1, 2012 – “If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” John 3:2 At different times in my life, I have wondered what it would have been like for me to encounter Jesus two thousand years ago. As [...]
Read more...March 31, 2012 – “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 Shortly after Lent 2012′s 40 days have passed, my birthday will arrive, and when it does, my first four decades will come [...]
Read more...March 30, 2012 – “Where have you laid him?” John 11:34 Do you recognize this passage? Jesus is talking to Martha and then Mary about Lazarus, their brother. He was sick and died, so they wrapped him up and put him in the tomb. Each of the sisters takes a turn saying, “If you had [...]
Read more...March 29, 2012 – “Do you also wish to go away?” John 6:67 Some of the most devout followers of Christ have chosen lives of seclusion, to “go away” from society into wilderness monasteries for lives of prayer and silence. Jesus asked the disciples, “Do you also wish to go away?” Many of Jesus’ followers [...]
Read more...March 28, 2012 – “Do you want to be made well?” John 5:6 Doctor’s Prescription for internal dysfunction: Let go. (400mg) Find your true self. (300mg) Breathe. (200mg) Reconcile. (400mg) If only it could be that easy. I do not know what it feels like to suffer from physical ailments. I can only imagine that [...]
Read more...March 26, 2012 – “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:4 I have thought a lot about this passage, as it is such a curious response to Mary when she tells Jesus they have run out of wine at this wedding they are attending. [...]
Read more...March 24, 2012 – “What do you want?” John 1: 38 The context of this verse is John standing with of his disciples and they see Jesus coming, so John says, “There’s the Messiah!” and they start to follow him. When Jesus sees them following, he turns and asks them this question, “What do you [...]
Read more...March 23, 2012 – Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” Luke 22:48 Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. How else could it have been? How would the scene play differently with a high five? Or with a handshake? A fist bump? How about one of the leaping-in-the-air [...]
Read more...March 22, 2012 – “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?” Luke 14:28 Is Dubai the next Babylon? For thousands of years mankind has built towers, many of them edifices to an individual or a kingdom. [...]
Read more...March 21, 2012 – “Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth?” Luke 12:51 Reading in context takes me in an unsettling direction. In Luke Jesus answers his own question, saying: “No, I come to bring division.” START OVER. I reflect on this question out of the above context. Do I think [...]
Read more...So, I’ve been shoveling for quite a few weeks now. First I shoveled the Ark, then I moved on to working on the Chalet 7 Memorial Bypass Highway. Sometimes I had company. Sometimes I worked alone. When I began work on the Ark, I got a lot of funny looks and comments about the futility [...]
May 9, 2012 Teach Me to Rise the Sun So much to wonder, so much to find Understanding incapable, the search restricted blind Trying to achieve higher existence, the harder I try What begins making complete sense can end as a lie There is more to this, but how to discover All humanity helpless, stranger, [...]