God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. In the early days of the New Year I stumbled upon Psalm 46. I was thinking about how God disarms our violence, and I landed on this psalm on this January morning. But here the song—for it is a song that celebrates the […]
Glory on the Doorstep
by on December 13, 2018 Leave a Comment
It’s here, you know. All around you. Wherever you may live, however beautiful or troubled your life might be at this particular moment in time, it’s near you, as near as your breath. I could palpate it in the room where my mother was dying last year. I see it almost every time I look—really […]
Remember Your Exodus
by on November 12, 2018 10 Comments
“…you shall love the alien as yourself; remember that you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” Lev. 19:34 Remember when we were slaves in Egypt, our men working in the brickyards under relentless quotas and merciless taskmasters? Remember the death edict that stole our sons and the risks we took to save as many as […]
The Gift of Charismatic Tears
by on October 18, 2018 18 Comments
Here’s the truth—I cry way too easily. Whenever I am emotionally invested in anything, the tears are never far away. This has been true for me as long as I can remember and it has taken me a long lifetime to learn that these tears are a gift. In truth, they are among the most […]
It’s Okay to be Gray
by on September 6, 2018 36 Comments
She sat across the table from me, and paused briefly for a bite of salad. She had just delivered The Speech, with all the resoluteness, passion and fire that comes with it. It was not the first time I’d heard The Speech; I’ve encountered versions of it my whole life. I have heard these words […]
