I took my 7-year-old son to a miniature golf course and, to make our scores competitive, allowed him one “mulligan”—or practice shot—per hole. He did fine until he came to hole 14, which required him to bank his ball off one wall and then another before rolling onto the... read more »

Who is my neighbor?” is an important question for a Jew. Surrounded by enemies—Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans—for centuries, the Jews of Jesus’ day sneered at the Samaritan half-breeds who threw caution to the wind and married foreigners. “Who is my neighbor?” is... read more »

Every culture contains values that may compromise the gospel. The early church was too Platonic, the medieval church too Aristotelian, the modern church too Enlightenment, and now the postmodern church is becoming too pluralistic. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public... read more »

Last month my brothers and our families enjoyed an outstanding dinner with our Amish cousins. The Amish begin every dinner with a silent prayer of thanksgiving, and—perhaps because their homemade meals are so delicious—they do it again at the end. Besides their terrific food, I was... read more »

Here’s hoping it doesn’t come to this, but Martin Luther offers some timely advice in his open letter, Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague. The Bubonic Plague came to Wittenberg in 1527, and Luther responded by closing the university and sending his students home. When concerned... read more »

The hall leading to Michelangelo’s David in the Academy in Florence holds several of his unfinished statues. These “prisoner” statues are more interesting than his impressive David, for the chiseled outlines of their half-finished forms offer a glimpse of a genius at work. Their... read more »

We were discussing faith in class this week, and it hit me afresh that we only believe in Jesus if we entrust ourselves–put all of our weight–on his life, death, resurrection, and return.   We must push all of our chips into the center of the table,... read more »

The resurrection of Jesus Christ can be like a pastry chef at a WeightWatchers convention or like having a pinky toe. We know each is important, but we’re not sure why. Many Christians treat the resurrection like the end of a children’s story—”And they lived happily ever... read more »

Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10: How well do you love God? How well do you love others? Which number is lower? Many Christians find it harder to love God than to love others because of two concerns: First, it’s difficult to talk to someone we can’t see. Second, we often seem too busy... read more »

What do the following have in common? An unemployed man flees his life of poverty by becoming a suicide bomber. A soldier unable to defend his homeland hugs a grenade to his chest in one final act of “honor.” A new mother guilt-ridden over the accidental death of her infant, swallows a... read more »