“We often think of short as lacking something, as though Zaccheus’ lack of inches in height somehow reduced him. Shortages in our bank accounts make us anxious, while being short-changed, whether in money or goods, usually makes us angry.”
“The Chinese martyrs were women doing what they were convinced God wanted them to do and, with strong faith, faced death without cringing or wavering. Most of us will never face such persecution or death for our beliefs. Still, Jesus won’t let us simply skate along, acting as part-time or even pretend-to-be-Christians.”
“Paul may drive me nuts periodically, but there are times he seems to have hit the proverbial nail on the proverbial head. It’s simple. And it is probably why so many people flocked to become members of the group that practiced this radical form of life.”
“I can still visualize that beautiful bird, covered in blood, nailed to a tree with its wings outstretched, as clearly as I can see Jesus on the cross. I see the eagle as representative of peoples and cultures who treat nature with respect and only seek to live in harmony with the land and with each other.”
“I wonder what might happen if, before we were to do something, a little voice in our mind would pop up with “But what if…?” We wish drunk drivers would ask themselves that before they put their key in the ignition, but we’re likely to end up bruised and shaken even if we say something.”
“I still encounter epiphanies and get such joy every time it happens. They can be sparked by something I read in a book, heard on radio, TV, or in class. Someone might say something in passing or something that seems to come out of the clear blue (I think of those as God-sparks).”
“The statement, “‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick,” certainly rings with us in this age of pandemic and seemingly endless variants. So many deny that there is anything wrong, that they might get sick or even die, or that they can make others ill and risk death because they take no precautions for themselves or others.”
“What Jesus intended to teach was what God had planned all along: that people get along together, work to help each other, take care of their neighbors, work to make the stranger feel welcome, feed the hungry, clothe those who are lacking, visit those who are in prison, and any one of many ministries that make the world better.”
“One thing about Jesus was that he didn’t make resolutions. He set himself to live a course of life and kept to it. He had a job to do, and he was determined to do it the way God wanted him to.”
“Let’s remember to take the real work of Christmas with us all year. It is a gift that is never too small or large, the wrong color, or a duplicate of something they’ve already got. It is simply what everybody needs – every day, every minute.”