Loving your anger may sound weird, like you’re fanning a really bad—or an even dangerous—flame, but the love of your anger can with what can be the most challenging words from Jesus who unabashedly calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44 and...

When most of us hear Jesus’ command “to love your neighbor as yourself,” we place emphasis on the first part of the command—the “loving our neighbors” part. But what is this love of self? Is Jesus talking about the pop psychology we hear from Hollywood where egocentric practices, self-importance, and...

“Is this the best a man can get? Is it?” a voiceover says in what some consider a controversial ad from Gillette, the company that manufactures shaving cream. The commercial continues. “We can’t hide from it. It’s been going on far too long. We can’t laugh it off, making the...

No matter where you side on the debate of the 1944 Christmas classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” (and the debate is on whether or not the flirtatious ditty is or is not suggestive of date rape), the following is not debatable: baby, it IS cold outside. Here on this snow-covered...

HOW DARE WE Nothing has been gained when a paraprofessional in the nearby elementary school said, “This isn’t a holiday for me.” She meant this because she was white. The same school recognizes this day NOT because of MLK, but because it’s cold this morning. I say it’s cold alright....

The circumstances will be different, but what just happened to me has happened to you, too. Here are my specifics. I hike in the woods with my Troops (the dogs) at least twice a day. We take the same path. There is never litter on the Troop trek, but yesterday...

You know how people are with a newborn! It’s all felicitations and congratulations. In this story, though, there is a pop. Mary and Joseph are stellar Jewish parents. They take their firstborn to the temple forty days after his birth for the purification offering (Luke 2:22-35). This is both custom...

If such things existed in his day, the Apostle Paul would have been a great guest to have on the air during an end of the year podcast or TV show. Those who embrace his writings know his wisdom, conviction, passion and prayer life changed the world because when he...

IT’S CHRISTMAS MORNING as I send this. In addition to Christmas Eve services and what I hope you experienced as a quiet peace when you lit a candle and sang Silent Night or another great Christmas carol, I imagine you also remember reindeer and cookies and milk as a part...

  Being the son of a fulltime Christmas tree grower, I can share that Decembers were what you can imagine. So my mom, ever the planner, asked us pre-teenybopper kids to create for her and my dad a Christmas list of what we wanted. That’s no surprise, right? Pretty status...