To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. Whenever we hear God’s Word, something is likely to get torn. Either our hearts will be torn – even to the point that our lives will be disrupted in some way – or we will figure out some way to tear up God’s Word. Those two alternatives are on display towards… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. The first live rock concert I attended was September 1, 1967, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum. The British invasion (spearheaded by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones) was still at full tide, and the crowd that day was excited about the headliners. They were a group of five long-haired, nattily dressed, enthusiastic young… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. The pre-dawn earthquake that struck along the border of Turkey and Syria yesterday was one of the most powerful shakings those countries have ever experienced. There are fewer than 20 quakes a year anywhere on the planet that exceed a magnitude of 7.0. This one measured 7.8, meaning it was sufficiently fierce to… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. At the beginning of this first full week of Black History Month, it’s clear America’s civil rights movement still has a long way to go. The unique gift of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership continues to bear fruit, even in his absence. But something else is missing from the landscape of contemporary civil… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line of the 1980 Boston Marathon. Her time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 56 seconds was extraordinary. Out of the blue, she was the third fastest female in marathon history. Heaving with exhaustion, she was escorted by two Boston police officers to… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. The Principality of Sealand claims to be the smallest independent nation in the world. It isn’t much to look at. It’s made of concrete and steel and is entirely contained in the photo above. Sealand occupies Roughs Tower, one of many “sea forts” that the British constructed during World War II. Roughs Tower was… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. If something belongs to you, put your name on it. Our grandson Lucas received that encouragement last year from his parents. Whenever he finished a drawing, they urged him to add his name. “That way people will know it’s yours.” Last summer, a few months before his fifth birthday, Lucas picked up a pebble… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. Daniel E. Sickles (1819-1914) considered himself one tough guy. As a New York City politician in the 1850s he was involved in a number of public scandals. When he learned that his young bride was having an affair with Philip Barton Key II (the son of Francis Scott Key, who had penned the words… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. Fans of professional tennis let out a collective cheer two days ago. On the other side of the world, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the Australian Open women’s singles championship, the first Grand Slam of her stellar career. It also represented a victory over “the yips,” one of the most debilitating frailties in the… Read more »
To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. Powerful leaders tend to admire other powerful leaders. In an interview with the New Yorker a few years ago, Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook (now known as Meta), and one of the richest men in the world, acknowledged his fascination with one of history’s most famous dictators. The Silicon… Read more »