One the greatest measures of human creativity is our ability to rationalize almost anything. No matter how destructive our actions, no matter how foolish our choices, no matter how selfish our behaviors, no matter how dark our impulses, we can always come up with a good excuse or a reasonable explanation for them.
God Can See in the Dark
October 18, 2022 by
I can’t see in the dark. It’s a fact of life. I’ve proven it many times, getting up in the night, foolishly believing I can navigate through the house without turning on a light, and then tripping over a sleeping dog.
Connections 06.26.2022: In Darkness and Despair
June 19, 2022 by
For people like me who cope with anxiety or other mental health issues, nighttime is often more of an obstacle to overcome than a respite to enjoy. The sun sets and we climb into bed, weary from the day and ready for sleep to come.
Connections 04.11.2021: Walk in the Light
April 4, 2021 by
When my daughter Samantha was in fifth grade, I accompanied her on a school field trip to Dahlonega, Georgia. One of the activities was touring the Consolidated Gold Mine.
Connections 01.03.21: Light in the Darkness
December 27, 2020 by
This week’s lesson falls on the second Sunday of Christmas. That is also the Sunday before the Epiphany, which occurs on January 6. Both Christmas and Epiphany are about God’s revealing God’s self to the world in Jesus Christ.
God’s Work in Darkness
April 14, 2020 by
In movies and media today, savvy viewers know to look for “Easter eggs.” Reminiscent of the egg hunts we experienced as children, movie directors and software creators offer these Easter eggs as inside jokes.
Connections 02.09.2020: Light in the Darkness
February 2, 2020 by
Most contemporary biblical scholars believe that Isaiah 56–66 contain the words of a prophet who preached in the tradition of the eighth-century prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem to the Jewish people after their return from exile in Babylon.
Formations 12.15.2019: Sitting in Darkness
December 8, 2019 by
Jim McClellan of Marin, California, is co-founder of a logistics software company. In a recent article, he discusses how he and his family have coped with the frequent power outages his state has endured in the wake of this fall’s numerous wildfires.
Formations 09.08.2019: A Light in the Darkness
September 1, 2019 by
I have consciously been on my faith journey since I was about ten years old. Before that, as far back as I remember, my religious upbringing consisted of church three times a week and prayers before meals and bedtime.
Formations 01.07.2018: The Suffering Servant
December 31, 2017 by
Lately I’ve been reading about Bartolomé de las Casas. A sixteenth-century Dominican friar, Las Casas is best remembered for his protests against the dominant forms of Spanish colonial and evangelical activity—the wars of the conquest and the encomienda system.
Help During Times of Darkness
April 25, 2017 by
A few years ago, I was driving home from church on a Wednesday night when the greatest number of emergency vehicles that I had ever seen whizzed past me on the other side of the highway, their bright lights flickering and sirens blaring. I soon discovered that a fertilizer plant in the neighboring town of West, Texas had exploded.
Satellite or Star
October 28, 2015 by
My eyes drew open a little after 4:30 this morning. The alarm wasn’t supposed to go off for another hour and a half, but I was awake. Though I knew I could go back to sleep, I also knew that I probably would wake up feeling more groggy than I did at that moment.
Praying in the Dark
July 8, 2015 by
More often than not, we talk to God with the lights on. This is not to suggest that prayer is scary, that there are monsters under the pews or in our prayer closets.