When you're two, being with Grandma and Grandpa is cool. When you're ten—not so much. Tim was at that awkward stage but never failed to hug his grandparents every visit. Wishing to reinforce good behavior, I once told him, "You know, I love the way you give such great hugs to Grandma and Grandpa. That's very nice of you! And I know they love, it too." Timmy's reply: "Well, they won't be around forever. Someday they're going to die" (umm…a bit blunt, I thought). But what he said next, I have never forgotten: "That's why I always give a good…
Amigo
Before traveling to Vicente Guerrero in Mexico, I had never even heard of, let alone met, a Oaxacan. They are among the poorest of the poor. Partly because of their “lowly” heritage and partly because they are indigenous, they are looked down upon by many, so they typically get the crummiest of the crummy jobs. If it’s dangerous or back-breaking or low paying, a Oaxacan is usually doing the task. My daughter and I were there to learn about them and minister to them, under the care of a beautiful Mexican ministry. Our host, David, told me that their team…
Do You Wonder?
“We all wonder.” The bold white letters against the black background make a big statement. Maybe you’ve seen the billboards or web banners for the Explore God website. The ministry addresses the fundamental questions most of us have about God, the Bible, and the Christian life. The other day, while boarding the train heading home from Chicago, I bumped into one of those very ads as I hiked up the steps into the passenger car. Except, just underneath the message, “We all wonder,” someone had scratched in the rebuttal, “No we don’t.” And there it was—the argument of the ages. …
To the Michigans
It's a big week for four-year-old Lucy. At her church’s Vacation Bible School, she was challenged to receive Christ as her Savior—and she did! One might not expect to see much dramatic life transformation in a four-year-old (not exactly a "life of sin" from which to turn away). But one would be wrong. Lucy is suddenly a fearless (if not fiery) preacher. Her mother calls her an evangelist. She regularly gets into the face of her two-year-old sister and proclaims, “Sadie, you need to make a decision!” But Lucy’s gospel witness is more than lip service. At the VBS, students…
Dangling from a Rope
A splash in the eye is what got my attention. Huffing in the heat of the late morning, I gingerly hopped over several lines of train track coming out of Chicago’s Union train station. Having cleared the last of the rails, something wet plopped on my head. The only place it could have come from was the high-rise off to my right, known as “The Residences at Riverbend.” Currently, you can buy a one-bedroom condo for 404,900. Need a little more elbow room? A two-bedroom unit will set you back between $539,000 and $825,000. But if you really want to…
Beware the Gnats
Out at the camper, we inherited somebody else's deck. With the help of a lot of friends—and a John Deere tractor—we managed to move two 8×8 foot wooden sections to our site. The repurposed deck then got a thorough power-washing. The next step was…a step. Actually, we needed to build three sets of steps. Like most "morning" projects, the construction of those steps turned out to be an all-day affair. So I measured, sawed, and fastened, all the while vaguely aware of a cloud of gnats swirling and swarming. After taking a much-needed shower and changing into some comfortable clothes,…
Pretzels and Prayers
At Ben’s Pretzels, they mix flour, water, and salt—and make magic. At Ben’s Pretzels, they thank you for stopping by calling out, “Have a pretzel day!” At Ben’s Pretzels, you hear Christian music playing over the speakers and read Bible verses on the walls. No visit to Shipshewana, Indiana would possibly be complete without a pretzel at Ben’s. As I’m blessed with a wife who agrees, we recently sat down to a steamy hot twist slathered in butter and bursting with bits of crunchy crystal salt. Munching while marveling at this delectable (but hardly diet-worthy) treat, my eye caught sight…
This Had Better Be About the Bible
When I first began preaching, I ran every sermon outline by my friend and mentor, Mike Kellogg of Moody Radio. Peering over his glasses, he matched his steely stare with a deep-throated warning I’ve never forgotten: “This had better be about the Bible.” Throughout my ordination process, that same truth chiseled itself into my soul. In truth, I still think about it every time I’m crafting a sermon outline. It is the yardstick I use to measure my own sermons—and those of others. A few weeks ago we traveled to Florida, our flight taking place during Sunday morning church…
Jack Takes on the ACLU
“I seen ‘em way before I got to the intersection,” recalled my friend, Jack. “They were on the sidewalk just outside a Starbucks in downtown Chicago, waving iPads as they gestured.” I knew a story was brewing with Jack. There always is. “Who were they?” I asked, taking Jack’s bait. “At first, I wasn’t sure. Since I go that way a lot, I figured it was probably an environmental group like Sierra. You see them a lot. Young folks hungry for conversations and contributions—mostly the latter,” Jack chuckled. “So if it wasn’t Sierra, who was it?” “The ACLU. That’s who. …
Her Name is Agnes.
Her name is Agnes. She misses her mother. The shards of her broken life frame a story that redfines tragedy. I listened to bits and pieces as we sat in her third floor apartment outside of Chicago—a long way from her childhood home in Budapest, Hungary. At the age of eleven, she awoke to the sound of a gunshot in her front yard, announcing the arrival of German storm troopers. Black booted soldiers forced their way through the front door—in search of Agnes’ mother. One week previously, the Nazis hauled away her father in a similar early morning assault after…