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Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Friday, July 29, 2016
A short story
Joy was a missionary who had
taught school in Iraq for seven years. True to her name, she spread the joy of
Jesus’s love to whomever she met. Many of her Muslim students fell in love with
Jesus through the beautiful songs Joy sang. Joy had the voice of an angel.
Listening to her sing inspired the soul, melted the heart, and was like a drink
of cold water in the hot desert sun.
Then, one day without warning Islamic State fighters invaded Joy’s
school. One fighter grabbed Joy and threatened to kill her on the spot if she
resisted him.
She was blindfolded, pushed into a truck with other prisoners, and
driven to an Islamic State building. They locked her up in a room for two days
with nothing to eat or drink.
Then, on the third day, a man came in and started ordering Joy to take
off her clothes. She refused. Instead she started singing the most beautiful
rendition of “Jesus Loves Me” that she had ever sung.
The man pulled out a knife and threatened to kill her if she refused to
do his bidding.
Joy continued to sing. The man then grabbed her, shook her and yelled at
her as he brought the knife closer to her neck: “I told you to take off your
clothes!”
Joy ignored his order and continued to sing, she couldn’t stop singing.
As she sang, the man began to listen, he soon dropped the knife and let go of
Joy.
A few moments later, he began to cry. He sobbed uncontrollably, and fell
to his knees, and buried his head with his arms.
Joy stopped singing and looked at him and prayed for him in silence. She
prayed as she never had before, for an enemy, one who most likely hated her and
everything that she loved and believed in.
After a few minutes, the man looked up at Joy and said gently: “Forgive
me. Please sing that song again, it is beautiful.”
Shocked, and expecting the worst, Joy was surprised and began to sing
again.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and
hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he
makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and on the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:43-45)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans
12:21)
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Elie Wiesel dies at 87 years
1928-2016
Elie Wiesel, (among other things) a Nobel Peace Prize winner, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, humanitarian, child of God, died last Saturday, July 2, 2016. He was an amazing person! He inspired and mentored many people from a wide array of faith traditions, and nationalities.
I have read about six of his books-he was a prolific writer. I found his books at once filled with despair and hope, struggle and peace, depressing and inspirational, autobiographical and universal, profound, insightful, challenging, poetic, prophetic, and reminiscent of the Psalms of lament-to employ a few descriptive adjectives among many more.
He was a man of deep faith, who, like a Jeremiah of old, was deeply compelled to speak truth to power.
May his life, memory, and legacy be a blessing to everyone. May God grant him shalom eternal.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Wordless Wednesday - May 25, 2016
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Dr Gordon Fee on the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation, from its beginnings, had a difficult time getting into the biblical canon. Many scholars were sceptical about it. Martin Luther was not over enthused about it-and had a pastoral concern that it had the potential of doing more harm than good for parishioners.
Over the centuries, many interpreters of Revelation have had a field day with Revelation-twisting and distorting it to interpret current events rather than referring to the original audience and their context in the Roman empire. Many have also been preoccupied with interpreting Revelation to support their views on how the future is going to unfold.
New Testament scholar Dr. Gordon Fee offers some helpful insights into the Book of Revelation in the following video. Even though he is not a Lutheran, I find myself agreeing with much of what he has to say. Hope you enjoy the video.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Friday, April 22, 2016
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