A few weeks ago, I spent a week traveling in India. My wife and I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy trip. Friends of ours who went there before us warned us that transportation is tough, scams are everywhere, there’s lots of pollution and there are areas of extreme poverty. Their best advice [...]
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Taking Up A Cause For Lent
I’ve read two articles recently focusing on how Christians can come together to support a larger cause when it comes to making sacrifices or showing compassion for Lent.
A group of Anglican British bishops are urging Christians to reduce their carbon footprint during Lent. According to the USA Today, the bishops are asking people to at [...]
So, why did we want Tiger to apologize?
(Photo Courtesy: ESPN)
Today, Tiger Woods broke his public silence regarding his extramarital affairs by saying he was “so sorry” for his irresponsible and selfish behavior. He admitted and apologized for disappointing his fans and causing them pain. “I have a lot to atone for, ” he said.
This apology was expected and widely called for. Many [...]
New American Dream: Downsize to Help the Poor
An Atlanta family has received a lot of publicity for their decision to sell their big home, buy a smaller one and use the profits to help those in need. The Salwen family says it all started when their 14-year-old daughter Hannah became upset with the unequal chances for people based on their wealth. By [...]
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
“What are you staring at?” a disheveled mom at the grocery story hissed at me.
Before I could answer, she spun around, and demanded that the clerk apologize—again—for accidentally bumping her cart with her newborn inside.
“I said I was really sorry,” the cashier replied meekly. “It was an accident.”
The angry mom turned her rage back [...]
Why did I care about Conan?
Last week, I watched every episode of Conan O’Brien’s The Tonight Show, all of David Letterman’s monologues, two full episodes of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and various viral bits from other shows. But the thing is: I never watch late night talk shows except for bits I find online. So why did I watch? [...]
Avatar is Pagan, and Boring.
The Vatican doesn’t think much of Avatar. And frankly neither do I.
When the film opened in Italy, the Vatican offered a review. A Philadelphia Daily News columnist covering the release wrote:
The Vatican newspaper and radio station are criticizing James Cameron’s billion-dollar 3-D blockbuster for flirting with the idea that worship of nature can replace religion [...]
Haiti
The earthquake in Haiti and the visible response raise a lot of issues for me. I was a missionary in the Dominican Republic for 6 years working near the border mostly with Haitians. I visited Port on a couple of occasions.
When I went to the DR as a missionary I imagined that helping would be [...]
Why are we embarrassed by God’s violent justice?
“Justice” has come back into fashion for many churches today. That’s a good thing. You can’t read the Bible without seeing that God cares so deeply about justice he’s willing to get violent about it. God in the Hebrew Scriptures is willing to let pagan Babylonians overrun his house because of it, and even normally [...]
Gay Africa
For those of us who label homosexual practice as a sin it can be easy to get muddled up about government attempts to legislate and prosecute sexual behavior. There is a difference between legislation designed to protect the vulnerable from victimization and that which tries to monitor and control consensual relationships. We must stand up [...]

