Scripture and science suggest that animal suffering fits into a divine artistic story. My Labrador retriever Buffy had a big heart. Our veterinarian, Beth, told us that Buffy had the largest, slowest “athlete’s heart” of any dog she had seen in 20 years of practice. Buffy inherited her athletic heart from her grandmother, a dog…
Both leaders have huge followings. But how well do we really know them? It is an awesome burden which the biographer takes up,” writes Elisabeth Elliot in her 1968 biography of missionary R. Kenneth Strachan. Any such project is “a judgment—upon the subject most obviously, upon the biographer himself, and upon any who were associated…
Our true comfort comes in trusting in the one who holds tomorrow. It’s one of the most quoted verses of the Bible: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Echoing the words of Jesus to leave tomorrow’s worries for tomorrow, Philippians…
Effective biblical engagement must be about more than one’s personal experience with Scripture. The disconnect crystalized 12 years ago when I (Dru) started teaching an introductory Old Testament class to freshmen. Every semester, devout Christian students would report to me that they read their Bibles every day. They could even recite key verses from memory….
We must envision a kingdom that outlasts us. We all know the first words of Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Far fewer of us can recall the last words of Genesis: “They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt” (50:26, ESV throughout). The first sentence…
We need fresh eyes for our faith’s basic teachings, no matter how long we’ve studied the Bible. In this Close Reading series, biblical scholars reflect on a passage in their area of expertise that has been formational in their own discipleship and continues to speak to them today. One warm April night, my high school…
How to find freedom from cycles of navel-gazing and self-loathing. Jasmine L. Holmes is not a licensed counselor or psychologist. But she is a Christian woman who actively struggles with shame. In her newest book, Never Cast Out: How the Gospel Puts an End to the Story of Shame, she shares candid accounts of dealing…
Did Evelyn have anything to show for after a life in the laundromat? Did I as a homeschool mom? Evelyn Wang feels like she has achieved nothing. Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) is the main character in the award-winning film Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won multiple awards at this year’s Oscars. Yeoh was awarded best…
Sometimes there is more to the story than just a bored listener. I think his record was 15 minutes. Usually, he was out in under 10 minutes. Brother Leroy (not his real name) just couldn’t seem to stay awake during the sermon. And he wasn’t a quiet sleeper. On occasion, he would snore, but most…
For believers, both old and new relationships carry an eternal weight and value. This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here. As I headed off to California for the installation of my old friend Matthew J. Hall as provost of Biola University, I commented to my wife, Maria, “I wonder what the most-repeated…
