[Painting, “Mary Magdalene at the Crucifixion” by Francesco Hayez] For Christians, Easter is a miraculous promise of love kept, because Jesus resurrected, as foretold, three days after his undeniable death by crucifixion. Yet, as if coming back to life isn’t enough, here’s an added kicker for me. Jesus chose to appear first to a woman. […]
In Cambodia, David and I stand among teeming crowds to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, a 12th century temple. It’s 6:00 a.m. and already onlookers line the edges of a moat filled with blooming waterlillies. I hear a woman say, “I thought if I came early, I’d have the place to myself” and […]
I am in Vietnam where Americans are warmly welcomed. Odd. I’m 62 and I recall TV images of brutal jungle warfare. From 1964 to 1973 about 2 million tons of American bombs were dropped. As a teenager, I learned about napalm and Agent Orange. Most of all, I remember the anti-war protests. Apparently, so do […]
We choose our dogs, sometimes through rescue, but in the end, our dogs save us. This concept is brought to life in the new movie, A Dog’s Purpose, based on The New York Times bestseller by W. Bruce Cameron. A romp through reincarnation shows how Bailey, a Golden Retriever, starts off as a beloved pet. […]
Doubt. It’s a key ingredient to faith. If you don’t question, you don’t care. A new book helped me to examine what I believe and why. The Value of Doubt: why unanswered questions, not unquestioned answers, build faith, is written by Bill Tammeus, a veteran journalist and award-winning religion writer. (Skylight Paths Publishing, September 2016, […]