My son the linguist never met a word he didn’t love. And he delights in sharing his etymological treasures with whoever will stop and listen. Recently we celebrated my birthday with breakfast at a little restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. As we watched the morning sunlight turn… Read More

If a child fell into the deep end of a pool, a trained lifeguard would not hesitate to jump in and rescue him. That’s confidence. If I was the only adult nearby, I’d have to momentarily forget that I am terrified of being in water past my neck, throw an… Read More

How does the Bible view women? At face value, some of its messages and examples can seem oppressive or devaluing. But when you learn more about how Jesus responded to the Bible’s historical and cultural context, you may rethink your first impressions. Christ entered into a specific time and culture… Read More

One of my favorite comedians has a bit in which he imagines that the delicious foods we describe as “heavenly” aren’t actually allowed in heaven. I think of this joke whenever I read about manna, the mysterious substance that was showered upon the Israelites by God after they complained of… Read More

A few days after the 2016 presidential election, I thought of the time Peter cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear as Jesus was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10). Many of us with differing priorities for justice have spat venom at each other before and since… Read More