Living on Mission
When I heard that actor Chadwick Boseman (most famous for playing Black Panther) had died, I was as shocked as most people. Then, reading all the tributes from friends, colleagues, and fans, I was unexpectedly touched. Of course we are all prone not to “speak ill of the dead” right after someone dies, but nothing has been brought forward that casts a shadow on his legacy. If anything, his life looks more remarkable now that we know he battled cancer for four years, even while filming several of his most iconic roles. True, being public with his diagnosis could have scared off potential...
Read MoreMore Sustainable Energy
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV) As I was searching for an older article, I came across Ali Hormann’s post from 2016, “Sustainable Energy,” in which she talks about the problem of climate change. Truth be told, with police brutality, violent protests and responses to protests, and COVID-19 dominating the headlines, I’d kind-of forgotten about climate change. (At least all of us having to travel less...
Read MoreGod of Justice, Lord of Solace
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:17-18 NIV) I’ve witnessed a lot of suffering in the last few weeks, both publicly and personally. The news and social media have been flooded with coverage of people who lost their lives to unjust violence—Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd—and the righteous anger of the protesters who understand that it could have been them. I have also watched my cousin struggle to hold onto optimism as her daughter...
Read MoreLament and Act
Mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15b NIV) This week has been highly emotional in the US. From disagreement over how to move forward through the Covid-19 pandemic to the killing of another unarmed Black man by police, from the protests in response to the killing to the chaos and violence of rioters and “peacekeepers.” So much that has happened in the last few years has been described as “unprecedented,” right through the pandemic that had been dominating the news until now. But we the church also have an unmatched opportunity to lament suffering, to stand for justice, and to be Jesus to...
Read MoreIn Sickness and in Health
(This post was originally written in January of 2010, but it applies to this time we’re in now.) “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17b NIV) There’s nothing like being sick to make you appreciate how good it feels to be well! I hope you never find yourself sitting on the toilet and hugging the trash can at the same time, but if you do, know that you have my complete sympathy. After two days of lying on the couch with barely enough energy to drink soda, I was grateful just to be able to eat solid food. I woke up...
Read MoreLessons for a Timeless Time
Someday people will write novels set during the Great Covid-19 Pandemic (though it might be called something different by then). There will be quiet diaries of quarantined people sliding into insanity and action-packed epics jumping from overcrowded ERs to the halls of power. Maybe there will even be some gallows humor from the grocery store clerk asking, “What do you do when you have no good choices?” Right now, there are no obvious right choices, only trade-offs. Here in America, I’ve heard us described as “the sick, the scared, and the bored.” Some are sick or know people who are, and...
Read MorePersevering in Hope
“[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8 NIV) Aren’t you tired of talking about it yet? Like most of us who are stuck at home in these pandemic times, I’ve been doing a lot more virtual meetings. I’ve had writers critique groups, Bible studies, and happy hours over now-ubiquitous video chat platforms. In one of the latter, we congratulated ourselves after realizing we had talked for ten whole minutes without mentioning coronavirus! But really, there’s little else to talk about. Most of us are under “Stay Home, Stay Safe” orders, and the...
Read MorePeace and Purpose
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. (Psalm 139:8 NIV) As an extrovert, a mother, and someone who usually works from home, these last few weeks have been a very bizarre experience. My workdays haven’t changed… except there are so many more people in the house. I’m tired of being around my family, but I’m lonely for conversation (especially on any topic that’s not the coronavirus pandemic). Sometimes I feel like Psalm 139:8 above, rather than reassuring me of God’s constant care, describes me failing to get a moment’s peace from “Mommy?...
Read MoreThe Both-And Gospel
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:39-40 NIV, emphasis added) I love to prioritize. I’m not always good at it, but I subscribe to the principle of spending your best brain time focusing on your most important thing. On weekdays, my “ONE thing” is writing: time working on a novel that I’m trying to sell. That might be composing words, editing, brainstorming, planning revisions, or outlining a new story, depending on the stage each of my works in progress is in. But of course, I’m also a...
Read MoreWho is the Proverbs 31 Woman?
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (Proverbs 31:10 NIV) In college, I belonged to a conservative, student-friendly church. While I’m certain I had heard about the “wife of noble character” (the woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31) before, that’s the first time I recall hearing about “the Proverbs 31 woman” or “P31W” as someone I needed to emulate. My friends and I would joke about earning P31W points whenever we did something domestic, like cooking for a bunch of people. Then we would also joke, “So how do I trade in these points for a good husband?”...
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