Read Luke 17:11-19. August of the year 2013. As my family and I packed the car, I barely noticed the heat because of my excitement. After this day, things would never be the same. Yes, I was still me, but I would now have more freedom—more responsibility and a new life ahead of me! As…Read more Feeling Foreign
Ready to Meet You
Read Mark 5:1-20. Have you ever traveled someplace unfamiliar with the expectation someone would be there to meet you? What if that person did not show up? Some years ago, I traveled to Ecuador for a work-related trip. A colleague, who was traveling from her native country of Colombia, planned to pick me up at…Read more Ready to Meet You
Bridging Barriers
Read John 4:4-26. Huddle up! Batten down the hatches. A stranger is coming. “How is it that you being a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” They hadn’t met, yet there were already two strikes against her. These weren’t caused by her sinful choices. No, she was born that way: a Samaritan…Read more Bridging Barriers
Needing More
Read Luke 7:36-50. My class gathered together and sang “Christ is All I Need” before heading to our Christian college graduation ceremony. At the ripe age of 21, I was supposedly prepared to handle anything with my Bible minor and bachelor's degree. I assumed my theology and training would be enough to navigate life, but…Read more Needing More
Sight to the Blind
Read Mark 12:41-44. I am myopic (nearsighted), which means if something is way beyond the tip of my nose, I need corrective lenses to see it clearly. One of Jesus’ tasks is to give sight to the blind: physical and spiritual. He especially cures His followers of spiritual blindness. As followers of Jesus like His…Read more Sight to the Blind
He Notices
Read Luke 21:1-4. Can this middle-class white male who is financially stable and happily married and who has lived his entire eighty-plus years in both political freedom and the fellowship of various biblical congregations, genuinely identify with a penniless widow trapped in a cruelly occupied country, whose “home church,” moreover, is run by a bunch…Read more He Notices
Just as a Pharisee
Read Matthew 23:1-12. How many times when asked, do we wear our “Oh, I am a Christian” badge? It's so easy to claim, but not as easy to live without God’s help, especially in our society. When we identify ourselves as followers of Christ, do we really think about the depth of this statement, how…Read more Just as a Pharisee
Don’t Fake It!
Read Luke 20:45-47. During our years living in West Africa, I purchased, on at least two occasions, carved wood art only to find out later that the “authentic” sculpted piece was a fake—not real ebony wood but a common wood found throughout Mali. In each case, the art piece had been enhanced through the use…Read more Don’t Fake It!
A Summary of the Law of Moses
Read Mark 12:28-34. “When did you first get your calling to be a missionary?” I’ve been asked this question many times over the years, and I still don’t really understand it. It’s like asking someone, “When did Jesus first call you to love other people?” or “When did you hear God’s call to love God?”…Read more A Summary of the Law of Moses
Forever Reign
Read Psalm 110:1-4. “We highly want you to consider applying for the discipleship leadership position for your floor.” Me? A leader? There’s no way! This is what I was thinking in my head when I was approached by my residence hall director in college. In my mind, a leader was someone who was popular, energetic,…Read more Forever Reign
Crossroads 