No, I’m not thinking about the lingering physical malaise that is sometimes called “long COVID.” I’m thinking about the lingering social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual effects caused by two years of social distancing, isolation, mistrust, and fear. We all went along with it; what else could we do without further isolating ourselves? Psychologist Jody Harrington … Continue reading The long-lasting effects of COVID
Faith and life
Peace in the storm
Chaos (physics) behaviour so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions. (Oxford) Image by yan1515 from Pixabay Weather forecasting is both a science and a matter of guesswork. Temperature forecasts are usually pretty accurate, rainfall forecasts can be wildly inaccurate. I have watched weather radar projections of where clouds will be … Continue reading Peace in the storm
THE SHEEPFOLD
The Bible frequently mentions a sheepfold, and no doubt people of those days understood exactly what that meant. But that was long ago and far away, do we really know today what a sheepfold looked like? According to descriptions I have read, there were several kinds. There were temporary sheepfolds with walls or fences of … Continue reading THE SHEEPFOLD
What are you worth?
We are spiritual beings made alive by the breath of God. This spiritual nature enables us to be in communion with our Creator and is more important than our physical nature. The value of a human being is not based on the work he accomplishes, but upon the inherent spiritual essence of bearing the image … Continue reading What are you worth?
Decaying faith
"We seek and desire with yearning ardent hearts, yea at the cost of our life and blood, that the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ and His apostles, which alone is the true doctrine and will remain and will remain until Jesus Christ will reappear in the clouds, may be taught and preached throughout all the … Continue reading Decaying faith
Shema Yisrael
Before Viktor Frankl was deported from Austria in 1942, he had the manuscript for his first book on psychology sewn into the lining of his overcoat. The first thing that happened when the Jewish prisoners arrived at a Nazi concentration camp was that they were told to strip and shower. They never got their own … Continue reading Shema Yisrael
Are the times also changing spiritually?
The Jesus People movement began 60years ago. Young people with no Christian background or instruction suddenly found the Word of God and the person of Jesus Christ to be very attractive and compelling. Can such a thing happen again? I believe it can, and will. That belief is based on the simple fact that there … Continue reading Are the times also changing spiritually?
Light the candle
There is an election in the USA today, and judging by the attention given to it by media around the world, it would seem that no matter who wins half the world will see it as the end of civilization as we know it. Let’s take a deep breath, stop fretfully checking the news, and … Continue reading Light the candle
PHARISAISM
The Old Testament era ends with Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi. Many Jews had returned from captivity, the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and the second temple was being built. One ancient Jewish source said that five things that had been in Solomon’s temple were missing from the second temple: the ark of the covenant … Continue reading PHARISAISM
PIETISM
Hassle-free piety? Jesus said: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19) . The apostle Paul wrote: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]” (Ephesians 5:11). Those people who were … Continue reading PIETISM
Flatlander Faith 