As a little junior philosopher, I looked up at my parents and said, “I think maybe everyone suffers the same amount in life, but it comes at different times—but in the end, it all evens out.” My parents were outraged. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” my dad said. “What about people bornContinue reading “LIFE IS FAIR, BUT LIFE IS NOT FAIR ALWAYS. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8.”
Category Archives: treasure in heaven
HOPE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO “QUALITY OF LIFE.” Ephesians 3:10.
Joni asks hard questions—What about the quadriplegic on a ventilator? What about that person who can communicate only by blinking? How do you respond to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis? What hope is left when disease has spread and pain is increasing? Why hang on? What about those who live their entire lives trapped inside bodies andContinue reading “HOPE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO “QUALITY OF LIFE.” Ephesians 3:10.”
“SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE” Colossians 3:2.
The Middle Ages: Disease. Cities filled with sewage, rats, and dirty water. Physicians practice bloodletting (draining up to 80% of a patient’s blood), purging (meds to cause vomiting or diarrhea), and extreme sweat treatments. (Such so-called ‘heroic medicine’ often hastens the patient’s death.) You are better off poor—poor enough to avoid doctors, that is, butContinue reading ““SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE” Colossians 3:2.”
STARS. Philippians 2:14-15.
We talk about movie STARS, sports STARS, rock STARS. But what is a star? Why do we use the metaphor constantly? Imagine the inky blackness of a starless sky. If you could spend a moonless night at sea or on a mountaintop a thousand miles from civilization, you would see true darkness. Yet stars remain:Continue reading “STARS. Philippians 2:14-15.”
Hard Truths Can Become Words of Comfort. Isaiah 40, Matthew 6:20.
Sunday afternoons will often find me enjoying my new riding mower. Last week I was mowing a maze into a pasture and wishing I had small children around to appreciate it. But it was just me and acres of partially cut grass. A cold front was coming in and every time I turned the mowerContinue reading “Hard Truths Can Become Words of Comfort. Isaiah 40, Matthew 6:20.”
Wealth ≠ Credibility.
If a famous person endorses a product, we are more likely to buy it. If a movie star talks about recycling, we are more likely to start sorting our trash. This is even true with people like Paris Hilton and the Kardashians—celebrities who are famous for what? For nothing. They are famous for being famous,Continue reading “Wealth ≠ Credibility.”
Household Words: 