Bookends are those supports that keep books from falling over on a shelf or desk. By way of analogy, there are two events that “bookend” the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel accounts of Luke and Matthew: two angelic appearances, two unlikely recipients of the angel's message, and two responses that teach us [...]

Military conflict breaks out. A tsunami hits. Justice is not accomplished. Christians are martyred. Violence escalates. At times, it seems there are unanswered ills that God is (at best) ignoring or (at worst) endorsing. This conundrum of God's righteousness in the face of evil circumstances is not new. The prophet Habakkuk wondered how God could [...]

The teacher was at his wits' end. His search for truth had led him to understand some of the gospel, but he could not escape the never-ceasing pull of “a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions” (1 John 2:16). He felt helpless and frustrated [...]