Author: Jon Gauger

As a kindergartner in Romania during the Communist era, Cristina remembers her teacher asking, “How many of you kids go to church?” Brave Cristina stepped forward—alone. The teacher then reamed her out in front of the entire class. "Never, ever go to church again!" she demanded. Cristina protested, "But my parents go to church." As often happens, word of Cristina’s brave classroom stand got around. A school caretaker named Natalie later approached Cristina quietly, asking her to sing a song from church. Natalie was curious—and hungry, for what she did not know. Though Cristina may have felt a sense of…

“Where are we, guys?” At church orchestra rehearsals, I ask that question with alarming frequency. Keeping track of all the measures you’re not supposed to play can be more difficult than actually playing. I often joke, "If a piece ain't in 4/4 or 3/4 time, I'm not responsible for counting." Muddying the musical waters is the fact that songwriting has evolved in recent times. There's no shortage of codas (confusing notations that direct you to play some—but not all—of a section of music). Plus, you now often encounter a pre-chorus, second chorus, post-chorus, turn, alternate ending, and on it goes….

Contrary to the TV commercials, America does not run on Dunkin'. Increasingly, it runs on bashin', as in bashing our political (or any other) opponents. Skepticism and snarkiness are now the aging parents of a toxicity no one could have imagined ten years ago. Example. The very day we read about former Vice President Dick Cheney’s death, I saw a fellow train commuter’s phone flashing the headline, “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”  And to think decency used to draw the line. Apparently, we’re now celebrating death, folks. Of course, the boulevard of beastliness is a two-way street. Conservatives rarely…

When you are six, learning to whistle is a big deal. When you are six, learning to snap your fingers is also a big deal. And may I remind you that when you are six, losing your first tooth is definitely a big deal? So it was that we received spirited updates on all these major life events from Emma, who is indeed six years old. As we listened in person or on FaceTime, we heard her snaps grow louder and her whistle less airy. We watched as her tooth grew wigglier and wigglier. But on FaceTime—or any time—nothing was wigglier…

We waited at the counter—but nobody seemed to notice. At a certain fast food Mexican chain (no names here, but their logo might feature a purple bell), we attempted to pay for our lunch. Mind you, we’d already placed our order at the kiosk, so as not to “trouble” any of the workers with—well, customers. We might still be there waiting were it not for a crew member who stepped out of the restroom and saw us stranded at the counter. She took pity on us, then took cash from us. We’ve had the same “you-folks-at-the-counter-don’t-exist” experience at a certain…

Got clobbered by a Scripture verse this week. Proverbs 8:13 proclaims, “To fear the Lord is to hate evil.” I’m guessing your reaction is like mine was—initially. With a dismissive yawn, you’re saying, “No problem there. I definitely hate evil.” Not so fast. What about the evil of profanity in the TV programs we stream? What about the evil of sensuality in the movies we pay good money to see? What about the evil in the books we read? And what about the blogs and social media voices we champion whose words spew a literary napalm over our political foes?…

They're the most colorful part of any baseball game as they howl, "Strike!" Or "Safe!" I'm talking about umpires, of course. And if you've ever watched a game, you've heard the bark of their bluster over the roar of the crowd: “You’re out!” Umpires understand their call must be clear and confident. Now, you might not be much of a baseball fan. It could be the slow pace. Or the spitting. Or…(I’ll leave it at that). But the fact remains, Scripture calls you to be an umpire, of sorts. Colossians 3:15 urges us, “Let the peace of Christ, to which…

Ever thought about how many people are killed by animals every day? Steve Jenkins collects these kinds of statistics. Following is a list of the top nine animal killers on the planet—and how many they kill in an average day: Crocodiles, 3 Roundworm, 5 Tsetse Fly, 25 Assassin Bug (Gotta love that name), 30 Dogs, 150 (through physical attack or spreading disease) Freshwater snail, 275 (they spread many deadly diseases) Snakes, 275 Mosquitoes, 2,500 Ironically, sharks—among the most feared of all creatures—kill only one person every month or two. * Were you surprised by that list? I sure was. After…

Ever hear of a lap chicken? Me, neither. But I met one this week. “Betty” was born on a horse farm near Jacksonville, Florida. But somehow, this little chicken sustained an injury that left one leg broken. Unable to stand, she was vulnerable, having little hope for survival. But Joslynn, a horse-riding high schooler with a heart for animals, noticed the chicken and began talking with the farmers. She explained how she had raised a chicken during the Covid pandemic—even taught it to hang onto the handlebars of her bicycle and go for a ride. Impressed, the farmers welcomed her…

Silence is golden. Unless you have a toddler. Then, silence is very suspicious indeed! Truthfully, I should have been much more suspicious of myself last week at work. Let me explain. At precisely 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, I walked out of my office, closed the door, and hiked the mile and a half to the train station in downtown Chicago. Getting off the train in the suburbs, I enjoyed a quiet evening with Diana. At 6:35 the next morning, I stepped back into my office at Moody Radio—and soon discovered the problem. My soundproof office doubles as a recording studio, and…