“Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No!’ Jesus replied, ‘seventy times seven!’ ” (Matthew 18:21-22) I’m not sure I agree with some Americans who argue that John Rocker pitches something far more destructive than a baseball. But I do tend to agree with a friend of mine who suggested that he might have let his tongue get ahead of his brain. It was ironic that Rocker’s comments ignited civil rights and church leaders in […]

“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17:33) Now that we’ve all survived the Y2K scare, we can look forward to what the next millennium will bring. After all, today isn’t just the first day of the new millennium, it’s also the first day of the rest of our lives. If you’re like me, you’ve already decided that 2000 is going to bring some major changes in your life. All those “New Year’s Resolutions” are […]

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9) Isn’t it a shame that we have to share Christmas this year with doubts about just what Y2K is going to do to us? Our families and friends shouldn’t have to compete for our attention at Christmas, but the spin meisters made sure that something else gets to dance in our heads this Christmas […]

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) I heard a radio program this week arguing that Santa Claus had taken the Christ right out of Christmas. I’m not going there with this column because I don’t believe it. The truth is the real story of Santa Claus has gotten lost in the commercialization of Christmas, a testament of sorts to the genius of American retailers who wanted to be sure that moms and dads didn’t forget them at Christmas either. The irony behind all […]