It was the second week of December, with the weather in northern California cool enough to warrant a hat and coat when standing outside, conversing with those who walked toward our door. Most were attracted by the sign that offered restrooms, coffee, and a listening ear; others wanted to know if we had hazmat gear….
It was my fifth time in Nigeria. The electricity was out, as usual. A water heater had been installed, but its reliance on electricity made the availability of a hot shower unpredictable. Fortunately, in July there were plenty of monsoons to fill up the water tanks, so most of the time I could at least…
I recently returned from visiting multiple countries in the Middle East, where I heard stories from individuals, visited refugee/IDP camps, and met with leaders of various ministries, NGOs, and camps in Northern Iraq. Churches and organizations in Lebanon and Jordan also find themselves overwhelmed with the needs of refugees from Syria and Iraq, but have…
In 2013, I was living in Kenya while their presidential elections were looming. Everyone was remembering the previous election in 2007, when violence erupted and over 1000 people died in the aftermath, as tribal differences were triggered. As expats, we had our contingency plans set up, but were mostly expecting to hunker down inside our…
After Sunday’s tragedy of the shooting in Orlando (and the one that almost occurred in California) I’ve watched a wide range of reactions unfold. Of course those directly affected showed their overwhelming grief. Many showed sympathy and empathy through memorials, act of kindness, promises of prayer, donation of blood. Others expressed anger at multiple parties….
When offering the prototypical prayer that represented our relationship with God, Jesus included an interesting clause: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13a). Temptation is what draws people toward sin, toward selfishness. So why would the Lord’s prayer link the Father with temptation? We need to first think…
The question of “Why does God allow suffering?” has been present throughout history. This is an issue I’ve faced multiple times, and I’m guessing you have too! Have you reached a conclusion? For those who have yet to wrestle with this issue, it could be a stumbling block in their journey of faith, a reason…
[After a long hiatus due to significant life events, we are finally back to unpacking the beautiful example of prayer given by Jesus. Thanks for your patience!] Forgiveness is a topic that can strike a raw nerve in many hearts. Several years ago I co-authored a chapter in a book on dealing with sexual abuse….
The day I arrived in the city two bombs went off, one by a restaurant and the other by a mosque; over 40 people were killed. It did nothing to deter the training of “frontline workers” whose ministry was in thick of persecution and unrest; in fact, it was barely mentioned. Instead, we spent the…