On the morning Jesus was condemned to die, Judas took his own life at the Field of Blood. His death makes me sad, since suicide always leaves a devastating wound among family and friends. Such a violent end for Judas is tragic, because good intentions may have motivated his decision to turn Jesus into the…
Are you going to wash my feet?
Two days after open heart surgery in January, I peed on my socks. You perhaps would do the same if a surgeon so recently had split open your chest, stopped your heart, and grafted in three bypass arteries taken from your leg, arm and inner torso. Heavily sedated for pain and unsteady on my feet,…
The conflict ladder of shame
Do you know that Muslims daily lock and unlock the most hallowed building of Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem? This ancient structure encompasses Golgotha and the tomb of our risen Lord—both within one great edifice. Christians have so much trouble getting along that we cannot agree how to share the task of…
Thank you, apostle Paul
Dear Apostle Paul: I know this comes almost two thousand years late, but I want to thank you for helping carry the gospel to Europe where my ancestors eventually came to know Jesus. Sometimes in your mission travel you faced ferocious opposition, even attempts on your life. So it probably is no surprise that…
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
“I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. . . The wolf and the lamb shall feed together . . . They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.” Isa. 65:18–19,…
Our foes are monsters!
“The land that we have gone through as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are of great size.” Num. 13:32 Look closely at the grisly scene on the great amphora vase in this photo. The center figure—Odysseus, hero of Homer’s epic poem—thrusts a pointed…
Stretching the boundaries
Peter saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down . . . In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord!” Acts 10:11-14 If we think…
A bridge for the Good News
When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews. . . He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God…
A rocky place for reconciliation
When God . . . was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles . . . I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. (Gal. 1:15–17) – Apostle Paul Massive rock formations in southern Jordan still echo tragedy from the Old…
Peaceful sea–or bloodbath?
A great windstorm arose . . . so that the boat was already being swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:35–41 The Sea of Galilee can get rough quickly when winds…
Holy Lands Peace Pilgrim 