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Feb 14, 2005
Beyond the Reach of Skill and Art
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On the first day of classes, a new freshman walked out of the Princeton library feeling exalted by his new status and the ivied walls about him. Nearby, loafing on the grass, a bum in baggy pants, ragged sweater, and unkempt long hair was staring into space. Feeling a mixture of pity and contempt, the freshman congratulated himself that his own life was... Read More + |
Feb 14, 2005
Two Embraces
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“I grew up in a household where anger and resentment were served at every meal. In my home, love was a thing to be earned, never given. We got hugs for being good and when we deserved them. I suppose that’s one of the major reasons I had so much trouble when I was told that Jesus loved me and wanted good things for me.” These words spilled... Read More + |
Feb 14, 2005
Just Dessert
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They were married more than 50 years, had three grown children and two grandchildren. He remembered every one of those years to his final hour, but Parkinson’s disease and a debilitating stroke erased her memory long before it claimed her body. The stroke altered her personality and severely limited her physically, but her husband cared for her... Read More + |
Feb 7, 2005
All the Way to the End
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In the book Halftime, Bob Buford identifies the point in life when a person begins to ask “What’s next?” or “Is this all there is?” He offers a way to look at the second half of life that emphasizes significance rather than success. In Finishing Well, Buford tells the stories of people who have embraced life in new ways and are living to the... Read More + |
Feb 7, 2005
On Your Mark: Get Set?
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Once when I asked a friend how she was doing, she said, “Truthfully, I feel as if my life is going nowhere. I can’t get beyond Get on your mark, get set . . . get set, get set. I’m forever set, but I never go. A great bunch of spiritual cheerleaders are rooting for me, but I feel more comfortable on the bench than in the game.” I told my... Read More + |
Dec 19, 2004
Gift of the Magi
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"The Gift of the Magi" is O’Henry’s beautiful story of a poor young couple who had only two things of value: Jim’s pocket watch, from his father; and Della’s long beautiful hair. On their first Christmas together, each wanted to buy the other the perfect gift. Then Della had an idea. She cut and sold her hair. With the money, she bought Jim a... Read More + |
Oct 28, 2004
Forgiveness, Just the Same
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“Never let me see you in this house again!” The words rang out through the screen door as Ellen walked away from her childhood home and the aging father who had sexually abused her in her teens. Now a confident 34-year-old, Ellen was married with one child; and she had just done something she once believed impossible: she had forgiven her... Read More + |
Oct 28, 2004
Melt Your Heart
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“Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.” Matthew 6:12, The Message The head of a corporation was reviewing accounts, intending to collect some of the vast sums of money owed him by his employees. The files showed that one man, a manager, was millions of dollars in arrears. The CEO summoned his manager and confronted him. By now, the... Read More + |
Oct 28, 2004
Not Solutions, but Light
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Through a set of desperate circumstances, I met Rob when he was 17 years old, homeless, and nearly hopeless. In the year that I served as his court-appointed advocate, Rob lived in three group homes, attended two schools, and was passed among multiple social workers juggling horrendous caseloads. I gave him a promise that I would see him every week,... Read More + |
Oct 27, 2004
Father Figure
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Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy... Read More + |
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Daily Reflection From Laity Lodge
Wake Up, O Lord!
Psalm 44:23-24 comes in the context of an extended lament, in which the psalmist accuses God of mistreating his people, even though they have not broken his covenant (v. 17). The lament concludes... Read More +
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