Beautifully Broken
Our bus finally arrived at our much-anticipated destination—an archaeological dig in Israel where we would actually do some excavation work of our own. The site’s director explained that anything we might unearth had been untouched for thousands of years. Digging up broken shards of pottery, we felt as though we were touching history. After an extended time, we were led to a workstation where those broken pieces—from huge vases shattered long, long ago—were being put back together.
The picture was crystal clear. Those artisans reconstructing centuries-old broken pottery were a beautiful representation of the God who loves to fix broken…
What Are You?
When I walked into the ice cream shop with my five-year-old biracial son, the man behind the counter glanced at me and stared at my child. “What are you?”
His question and harsh tone triggered the all-too-familiar anger and heartache I’d experienced, growing up as a Mexican-American who didn’t fit stereotypes. Pulling Xavier closer, I turned toward my black husband as he entered the store. With eyes narrowed, the store clerk completed our order in silence.
I prayed silently for the man as my son listed the flavors of ice cream he wanted to try. Repenting of my bitterness, I asked God…
3 Ways to Stay Hopeful for the New Year
3 Ways to Stay Hopeful for the New Year
With only a few days left in 2021, our thoughts are undoubtedly focused on the coming year. Most of us…
I Am His Hands
Jia Haixia lost his sight in the year 2000. His friend Jia Wenqi lost his arms as a child. But they’ve found a way around their disabilities. “I am his hands and he is my eyes,” Jia Haixia says. Together, they’re transforming their village in China.
Since 2002 the friends have been on a mission to regenerate a wasteland near their home. Each day Jia Haixia climbs on Jia Wenqi’s back to cross a river to the site. Jia Wenqi then “hands” Jia Haixia a shovel with his foot, before Jia Haixia places a pail on a pole between Jia Wenqi’s…
യേശുവിനെ ആഘോഷിക്കൂ
യേയേശു തന്റെ ജനനം, മരണം, പുനരുത്ഥാനം എന്നിവയിലൂടെ ഭൂമിയിലേക്ക് കൊണ്ടുവന്ന രോഗശാന്തിയും സമാധാനവും എന്റെ ഓർമ്മയിലേക്ക് പിന്നെയും വന്നു. ആരാധന, വിവാഹം, നീതി എന്നിവയിൽ ശ്രദ്ധ കേന്ദ്രീകരിച്ച് ഒരു ബൈബിൾ പഠനം ഞങ്ങളുടെ സഭ നടത്തി. അതിലെ അവസാന സന്ദേശം ലോകത്തിലെ അനീതി നീക്കുവാനായി ആദ്യം നമ്മുടെ ഹൃദയത്തിലെ അനീതി നീക്കുന്നതിനെപ്പറ്റി ആയിരുന്നു.
പ്രഭാത ആരാധന കഴിഞ്ഞ്, ഓഡിറ്റോറിയത്തിന്റെ മുൻവശത്ത് ഒരാൾ എന്നെ സമീപിച്ച് എന്നോട് ക്ഷമിക്കണമെന്ന് ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടു. ഞാൻ ഉടനെ അദ്ദേഹവുമായി നടത്തിയ ഇടപെടലുകൾ എന്റെ മനസ്സിൽ അരിച്ചുപെറുക്കി, ഞാൻ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ വ്രണപ്പെടുത്തുവാൻ എന്തെങ്കിലും…
