Recently my wife and I flew to North Carolina to attend the memorial service of our dear friend and former missionary colleague Eugene Ruble. Gene and Peggy served in Indonesia for many of the years we also were there as…
Opposing Trump secretly isn’t enough
On Jan. 26, 2022, my opinion piece, “Where are the Good Republicans?” was published by BNG. The article was prompted by the Senate’s defeat of two voting rights bills — the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting…
Fletcher Seminary: Progressively risking criticism to act Christianly
Jesse C. Fletcher Seminary in San Antonio is an exciting place for women and men to prepare for Christian ministries of many kinds. The young seminary — whose core values are servant leadership, authentic community, engagement and inclusivity — extends…
The importance of ‘Keeping It Juicy’
Johnsonville, one of the most popular sausage brands in America, announced a new ad campaign April 8 they have titled “Keep It Juicy.” The campaign, which features actor Vince Vaughn, will of course emphasize that Johnsonville sausages are known for…
‘I am a fact … that does not yet have a name’
The Apple+ series Franklin — with Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s most influential founding fathers and the new Republic’s first ambassador to France — has historical significance. The story features the eight years, beginning in 1776, during…
The Cross as moral example
During the holiest of seasons for Christians around the world, thoughts turn to the Cross on which Jesus died on Friday before his tomb was empty on Sunday. At candlelit Maundy Thursday evening observances of the Lord’s Supper or solemn…
Understanding Ramadan: Self-denial as a spiritual discipline
Sunday evening, March 10, opened the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Observed during the ninth month of the Muslim calendar every year, it is a period intended for self-denial, which enables more opportunity for prayer, reflection and devotion, according to The…
How a beloved Christmas carol has misled us
One of the most beloved Christmas carols sung each year is the 19th-century anonymous verse set to music by James R. Murray (1841-1906), “Away in a Manger.” Away in a manger, No crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus…
The ‘god’ many American Christians worship
Driving along Highway 27 in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., in mid-September 2021, motorists were surprised to see a billboard bearing a phrase from the Bible they had often heard during the Christmas season in their churches: “Unto us a son is…
The nail in the board: Careless words always leave a mark
A good friend recently shared an analogy with me that made a deep impression. When he was about 10 years of age, his Sunday school teacher told his class of boys: “You can drive a nail into a 2-by-4 and…
Looking beyond ‘fact or fable’ alternatives in the Christmas stories of Matthew and Luke
One of the learning activities I sometimes used when discussing the nature of Jesus in my New Testament undergraduate classes was a “forced choice” exercise. We moved the chairs to the sides of the room and all the students stood…
The youngest victims of war
The news stories of what has been happening in Israel and Gaza since Oct. 7 have been difficult to absorb. The horrific loss of life, utter destruction of neighborhoods and the terrifying abduction of civilians of all ages have seemed…