The idea of pure love among people is a tough concept. It seems as if every relationship comes with strings — those things from the past that we use to manipulate and control those closest to us. It might have been be a conversation, a harsh word or an action done out of haste — or just stupidity. It might have been an act of volition, or insensitivity or vengeance. Whatever it is, the dirty past is a useful tool to... Read more
Flinch.Duck.Pull back your hand These are all natural reactions to the threat of pain. No one wants to be hurt. So we avoid pain.. We deflect it. We ignore it. We mask it. Pain is nothing new – it got its start in the Garden of Eden. Photo by Scott Doolittle, used with permission The serpent was cursed to crawl along ground, dragging its belly on the shards of stone.The woman was cursed, “multiplying your pain in childbearing.”And the man had to till a cursed ground, “in pain you... Read more
He’s half my age and plays a game for a living, but I’m learning a valuable lesson from Tim Tebow, the new starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. You don’ t have to be a football fan to appreciate Tebow — or the message of this post. So, please read on. In case you haven’t heard, the big news in the sporting world is that Tim Tebow is going to start as quarterback for the Denver Broncos this Sunday against Miami. In... Read more
Last week I saw them at the Capitol building. They were shaking their signs at some unknown person. Or persons. The signs condemned greed, and capitalism and corporations. Big banks. Big business. Big government. Some made a lot of sense. Some were just crazy. And then there was one. “Jesus would have been here.” I don’t know what to think. I know our country is full of problems, and there are no clear answers. A Washington Post poll today shows that 78 percent... Read more
Please, share with a friend if you feel moved. Read all past issues at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidrupert Read more
I got my Sear’s Christmas catalog in the mail yesterday. Santa was on the cover. It was a reminder that the consumptive push is coming. It’s bad enough that on the average day, you and I will be faced with an onslaught of an estimated 200 commercial advertisements. And that number is rising as marketers commandeer the sides of school buses, stadiums and movie theaters. I opened the pages of the newspaper today and a dozen ads fell out of the center. Rich in... Read more
Fall is an emotional time of year. Walk along a familiar path and it’s transformed by the sight and smell of change. There is the sweet aroma of fallen leaves in those desperate days between green and brown. Adorned in a hue of orange and red and gold, the trees reluctantly drop and in their nakedness they sadly stare down at the ground. Drifting in slow-motion, the leaves, one-by-one, cascade to the ground. They gather together, stacked in the unity of their fate, swept... Read more
The house is finally silent. The stream of family and well-wishers has dried and I am left alone with my thoughts. She closed her eyes for the last time just five days ago, but already I feel the hollow chasm, the chilling winds that remind me. I am an adult orphan now, parentless . A mother and a father snatched in the same year is a double blow. Somehow, I thought they would always be around, invincible, oblivious to the... Read more
If you have an aging parent, you know that call can come anytime. Mine came just a couple of days ago. Mom couldn’t get up out of her chair. After some testing, the doctors determined she had bone marrow cancer. It’s incurable. Then, somewhere in the transition the next day, she contracted pneumonia. Yesterday, her kidneys began to shut down. Now, all of her systems are failing. It’s happening all too fast. The end, with it’s gloriously sad overtones, looks... Read more
I saw Dan today on my lunchtime walk downtown. But I wasn’t expecting to see him, at least, not like this. He was wearing a khaki blue uniform with a Wackenhut patch, a silver badge and a broad belt with various tools of the trade strapped on. Photo courtesy of istanbulmike “To serve and protect,” said the patch on his arm. I was surprised because I first knew Dan as an amazing youth pastor, whose smile and heart won over... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In