Listen to this piece. There’s so much interest in zombies today due to The Walking Dead television series and video games with zombies, among other things. In preparing my piece on Ezekiel’s vision of the valley where the vast army of dry bones comes to life, I even came upon a reflection comparing this army to zombies. Zombie mania. Zombie mania raises all kinds of interest on a variety of subjects, including questions about the afterlife and the relation of the... Read more

Listen to this piece. Reports are out that we barely avoided the fiscal cliff. But will the deal keep us from eventually falling into a valley of economic decay and death? Legislation may be under way for a bill to ban certain guns and put in place measures to help guard against mass shootings in public places. But will legislation alone keep the slaughter of innocent bystanders from occurring? You and I may have made various New Year’s resolutions to... Read more

Listen to this piece. Entitlement thinking is a classless thing. It cheapens the people who demand special privileges and things they do not deserve. What are we entitled to as Americans, whether we are rich or poor or somewhere in between? What are we entitled to as American Christians, whatever our socio-economic status? As Americans, are we entitled to universal health care? Are we entitled to malnutrition and disease? As Christians, are we entitled to certain religious privileges not awarded... Read more

Listen to this piece.. Did you know that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 50 million Americans are living in poverty? The 2011 U.S. Census figure for those living in poverty was 46 million. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, the U.S. ranked third-highest in poverty among developed nations in 2011; Turkey and Mexico were the only developed nations whose rates were higher. You may be wondering what the poverty line is: according to the Office of... Read more

Listen to this piece. Today and tomorrow, countless people around the world will celebrate the birth of Jesus. Some people will celebrate his birth in the midst of great suffering and loneliness. Perhaps they will take comfort from the fact that the Lord himself was “a man of sorrows,” “familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3). One of my favorite Christmas carols is “What Child Is This?” by William Chatterton Dix. The song comes from a poem “The Manger Throne” that emerged out... Read more

Listen to this piece. There’s something very magical about Christmas for many people. The reasons vary, from sensing something special in the air to falling snow against the backdrop of a lit night sky to Christmas lights and nostalgic music to the anticipation over giving and receiving presents. The list goes on. The children’s Christmas concert I attended the other night was filled with Christmas magic. The children varied in size and age and musical ability, as they played their... Read more

Listen to this piece. During the Depression years, people conserved. More recently, when facing tragedy and crisis, Americans have been called upon to consume. You may recall the Bush Administration’s talk of supporting the war effort in Afghanistan by going shopping and the terrorists hating our freedoms. Did such talk disguise our bondage to consumerism? If so, America’s greatness as a nation has been greatly diminished.  To some, its Messianic vision for America’s role in the world was/has been reduced... Read more

Listen to this piece. Jesus’ birth in Palestine a few thousand years ago was not so silent. As much as I love the Christmas carol, “Silent Night,” I have a hard time imagining Mary didn’t cry in giving birth to Jesus and that newborn baby Jesus didn’t cry that night. The crying over his birth didn’t end with them. After the visit of the Magi, Herod got ready to make mothers in the whole region weep. Scripture tells us that Herod was going... Read more

Listen to this piece. Like so many other Americans, I can’t wait for Christmas. I can’t wait to see children open gifts and to worship Jesus to whom the magi of old brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Still, like for so many Americans this Christmas, my thoughts and prayers will wander on Christmas day to Newtown, Connecticut, where some children who would be opening presents won’t be. As I drove home last night, my thoughts wandered until I... Read more

Listen to this piece. I was talking with someone the other day about Nostradamus’ prediction that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012. I have also been informed that the Mayan calendar ends on December 21st. Some people have determined that these two items alone provide sufficient grounds for them to get their houses in order for the end. It doesn’t matter that NASA has gone on record saying that life will go on just fine on... Read more