A good friend of mine has a father who is sinking into dementia. As his mind slips away, so are his “brakes.” The graceful restraints of social morays concerning foul language, anger, and human interaction are gone. He’s a handful, battling nurses, cussing out family members, and berating visitors. His final days are stress on everyone around him. It makes me wonder, what will I be like when I’m old? Frustration, Fear, Loneliness I saw my father angry one time... Read more
It took some time to find the apartment. It was tucked away in a labyrinth of unmarked streets and unmarked buildings. Finally, we discovered the staircase that led behind the building. Tapping on the door we were greeted warmly by a good looking couple and their beaming daughter. The apartment was simple, tidy and clean. A picture of Jesus hung prominently in the living room. This was another couple from Mosul, Iraq. Although I had only had less than a dozen interviews,... Read more
This post contains some interesting news about the maddening middle east. It’s intriguing, and something I’ve wrestled with for months. I don’t write these words lightly. I would love to hear your reaction, as it has impacted me to the very core. Until recently, the Nineveh Plains of Iraq was home to one of the most concentrated areas of Christians in the Middle East. However, the displacement of more than 200,000 Christians from Mosul, Arbel and Dohuk and other areas on the... Read more
Today it was 60 degrees. This weekend’s snowfall may exceed 10-12 inches. “Will it be the winter of despair or the spring of hope?” asked Charles Dickens. In a thousand different ways in a thousand different times I’ve asked that very question in my heart of hearts. I’m not alone. I’ve had jobs that seemed to be without any hope. I lived through relationships that looked sunk into winter. I’ve listened to the tape in my own mind, reminding me of my shortcomings.... Read more
Eight Cairo museum workers have been referred to prosecution and trial for “gross negligence.” Their crime? They broke the beard off the famed golden burial mask of King Tut and then further scarred the piece with a super-glue repair job. The 3,300 year-old mask is a symbol of Egyptian wealth and power. The ancient Pharaohs were considered gods and the mask was placed on the face of the body of Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 19. It was... Read more
Regret. We all have it. The relationship we lost. The vocation we never found. The job we were fired from. The place we have never lived. And these regrets can be how we see ourselves. Formless. Void. Bottomless emptiness. When you look at the beginnings of our planet – whether you come from a strictly scientific view or a theological view — planet earth started as “junk.” Genesis calls it “a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness.” It... Read more
Thanks to these brave high schoolers who forced me to think about what it’s like to be a generation that has only known life since 9/11. And for them, it’s okay to pray. Read more
It looked bad, as he clutched his wrist and grimaced in pain. Joshua,was just 11, and he was all boy. He had been stunt-jumping on his bicycle and had “biffed it,” adolescent talk for “had a major accident and lived to tell.” This was a familiar path we trod to the Emergency Room. I don’t how many, but it was at least 10. And we even had a nurse in the house to mitigate some of the emergencies, but still... Read more
On Monday, I shared the story of Sawson Ojailat who as my translator while I was in Jordan. I encourage you to read her words here first, and then continue on. I have begun to image what it would have been like to be a Christian in Syria or Iraq. The Christian refugees we interviewed shared their stories of persecution. We heard stories about the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS and FSA who were very strong and powerful against them. I was shocked... Read more
(Sawson Ojailat served as my translator while I was in Jordan. She is a wonderful Christian woman, raised in Kuwait as a child and later to Jordan as an adult. She has seen a region rocked by unrest. She has seen death. But she has watched the sprig of hope blossom throughout the region she loves. During my brief visit, Sawson accurately translated my questions and the refugee’s answers. The hard questions would often bring the most heart-wrenching honesty. As... Read more
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