Month: March 1998

A Fatal Omission

When a group of churches advertised their Easter celebration, no reference was made to the cross. The omission was deliberate. One church official explained, "The cross carries too much cultural baggage."

Pausing At The Tomb

My youngest daughter and I were walking through a store a few weeks before Easter. "Look at all this stuff," she said. "Nothing but candy and bunnies. I'll bet there's not a tomb for sale anywhere in this store."

The Strongest People

The picture in the newspaper caught my attention. Above the caption "Strong Man" was a photo of a workman displaying what seemed to be superhuman strength. He appeared to be lifting a piano up to a second story apartment porch. An explanation under the picture plus one discernible clue, however, told the unseen story. By looking closely I could see a cable attached to the piano. The real power to lift it was coming from a crane above, rather than from the man below.

Misunderstood

It's easy to be misunderstood. My wife and I still laugh about her first impressions of me when we were in college. She saw my natural shyness as aloofness. I think we've got that straightened out now. Somehow, I hadn't communicated well to her.

News You Can Use

Do you believe everything you read in the newspapers? What about the information given on TV news or radio talk shows?

God's Mercy And Ours

There's a legend about a rabbi who welcomed a weary traveler into his home for a night of rest. After learning that his guest was almost a hundred years old, the rabbi asked about his religious beliefs. The man replied, "I'm an atheist." Infuriated, the rabbi ordered the man out, saying, "I cannot keep an atheist in my house." Without a word, the elderly man hobbled out into the darkness.

When Satan Sifts . . .

In Jesus' day, women sifted wheat by grasping a sieve in both hands and shaking it forcefully from side to side. Then they would move the sieve in a seesaw motion while blowing over the wheat to remove the chaff. It was a vigorous process.

Plan For The Future

In the spring of 1981, a young man was flown into desolate northern Alaska to photograph the natural beauty and mysteries of the tundra. He took along 500 rolls of film, several firearms, and 1,400 pounds of provisions.

Yes, Lord!

The owner of a business near my home in Texas often places a Bible verse or a thought-provoking saying on a sign outside his building. I appreciate that public word of witness for Christ and have thanked the owner for it. The other day as I drove past, the sign contained just two words: "Yes, Lord."