To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Who invented the automatic sliding door? It wasn’t Edison. Nor Westinghouse. Nor any of the many engineers who reached the peak of their powers in the 20th century. Believe it or not, the first functioning automatic door was the brainchild of a Greek inventor who lived during the time of Jesus…. Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here For thousands of years, people have looked to the stars during troubled times. From ancient Mesopotamia to the dawn of the internet, astrology has been a source of reassurance and guidance. Astrology’s staying power into our own time has frankly stunned the world’s academic community. The notion that it’s possible to… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here Sociology professor and author Tony Campolo once attended the wrong funeral. His mother had called him and said, “Mrs. Kirkpatrick died. You need to pay your respects.” As Tony puts it, “My mother, like all Italians, was big on funerals.” So he hurried to the mortuary, where the service would begin at 2:00… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here In the ancient world it took guts to tell the future. Literally. If you lived in Athens or Rome and had to make a crucial decision about whom to marry, where to build a house, or whether to start a war, you’d begin by “taking the auspices.” That might mean examining… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here During the month of November, we’re taking a look at 21 essential activities of the Holy Spirit, who represents God’s presence in and through every follower of Jesus. “Do you want to know the secret of a long life?” That’s the question Michael Gartner’s 95-year-old father asked him one day, seemingly out of… Read more »
A few years ago, I experienced the adventure of walking through an authentic European garden maze. The first time I saw an aerial photo of one of those labyrinthine backyard hedges – the playgrounds of the rich and bored during the Enlightenment – I yearned to encounter one first-hand. Opportunity knocked when I visited Hampton Court Palace, one of the historic… Read more »
A few years ago I approached a four-way stop not far from my home. I was in a bit of a rush, so I was glad to see that there was already a car in the intersection, going from left to right. Perfect. Now it’s my turn. I tapped my brakes, slowed to a stop – OK, I at least… Read more »
“You’re fired.” Those are two of the hardest words one can ever hear. There’s a former reality show star who happened to be elected to high public office who seems to speak them with unusual enthusiasm. But if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of that sharp-edged message, you probably didn’t feel entertained. Linda Kaplan Thaler acknowledges that while… Read more »
Carol Gardner was over a million dollars in debt from a failed real estate venture. She was 52 years old, divorced, and heartbroken. She had no job, no income, and no prospects. “My attorney just shook her head and said, ‘You need to get a therapist or get a dog.’” So she got a dog. Carol responded to an ad… Read more »
Author and evangelist Tony Campolo was once invited to speak at a small Pentecostal college in eastern Pennsylvania. Before the chapel service, several of the faculty members took Tony into a side room to pray with him. Tony got down on his knees and six men put their hands on his head and began to pray. Now Pentecostal prayers can… Read more »
