In Waiting for God, Simone Weil describes when God became personal to her. She writes: “In 1938… I was suffering from splitting headaches; each sound hurt me like a blow… I discovered the poem… called “Love” [by George Herbert] which I learnt by heart. Often, at the culminating point of a violent headache, I made … Continue reading The God of personal contact
meaning of Christmas
An alien visitor at Christmas
It’s December. Christmas is approaching. Indulge me with an illustration. Imagine an alien from another planet was sent on a mission to earth to learn about Christmas. And imagine that it came to your house to watch your celebrations and to collect data. And then imagine that it had to report back to its mothership … Continue reading An alien visitor at Christmas
Larry King’s one question
“…before they came together, [Mary] was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18) T.V. Host Larry King was once asked, if he could interview one person from history who would it be? “Jesus Christ,” he replied. The interviewer went on to ask, “If you could only ask him one question, what would … Continue reading Larry King’s one question
Pondering the nativity
The season of Advent and Christmas can be such a blur. As a result, we can easily leap-frog the biblical story of Jesus’ birth as we mad-dash to the mall, or attend to a dozen other dizzying responsibilities. 'But don’t we hear that story on Christmas Eve?' Yes, but Christmas Eve sermons tend to be … Continue reading Pondering the nativity
When we hear it so much we stop hearing it
It’s one of the most famous stories ever told: The birth of Jesus. We’re about to celebrate it in a few days. Shepherds, angels, and hostile Inn-keepers have appeared in thousands of Christmas pageants for hundreds of years. But when we hear something so much, we stop hearing it. Instead of paying more attention, we … Continue reading When we hear it so much we stop hearing it
Standing out and standing firm
I’d like to suggest something as we approach Advent and Christmas. It’s to make your faith visible. I don’t just mean with words and deeds—although that is very important too. What I mean is including visible faith-based objects in your celebrations. What about a nativity scene? Or an Advent wreath? What about putting up a … Continue reading Standing out and standing firm
Celebrate that you can celebrate
Let's be honest. Your faith makes you stand out. Because of that, you can sometimes be reluctant to say things about your faith, Jesus, the church, or the Bible… Or even the meaning of Christmas. But I’d like to invite you to look for and seize those little moments to share the true importance of … Continue reading Celebrate that you can celebrate
The Up Devotional 