In Deep

Did Jesus have Peter and the other apostles wade into waters over their heads to remove the scales from their eyes? Did he put them through the wringer to squeeze out unbelief?

The Eyes Have It

At the cross. At the burial. At the empty tomb. Three wait-and-see days. Three women. The gospel according to Mark begins with the ushering in of “the good news of Jesus the Messiah, God’s son” (Mk. 1:1). Composed of short narratives that could be easily visualized by those who heard its reading, Mark’s terse and…

Astonished and Afraid and the Hand of God

There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!” Psalm 4: 6 The day came when Jesus arrived at a synagogue in Capernaum with a small group of swarthy fishermen. The leader of the synagogue asked the newcomer to speak to the gathered.…

Can I Get a Witness?

Can you affirm the following? “We know that the entire creation is groaning together, and going through labor pains together, up until the present time.” – the Apostle Paul Have you heard the wind howling? Have you heard the endless pounding of the surf on the shore? Have you heard nature singing in a minor…

The Destroyers

The result of a consistent and total substitution of lies for factual truth is not that the lie will now be accepted as truth, and truth be defamed as lie, but that the sense by which we take our bearings in the real world – and the category of truth versus falsehood is among the…

The Message

In his current state, it might take years for Vic to recover his right mind. He’s been flaying around and mumbling the whole time in the back seat of my car. His mind, no longer aware of surroundings, seemed to be in a state of virtual reality. And that is the reason for the all-night…

Cross Purposes

You and I are inundated by narratives day and night. We are implored to spend our time, money, and allegiance in response to them. Their goads come at us through the mail, and via emails, radio, TV, and social media. Here are only a few of their associated rallying cries: “Today Only!” “Act Now!” “Call…

You’ll Never Be the Same

Daybreak. The village of Bethsaida. The air is hot and dry and still. And something is astir. Jesus has come to the “house of fishing”. You hurry down to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Your husband and his brother have been fishing long before daybreak. You carry with you a clay jar…