There’s a big difference between “all things work together for good for those who love God” and “in everything God works for good with those who love him” (rsv). The Greek...

You’re reading the paper or watching TV. You see or read something terrible that lands with an impact. You give a deep sigh; you groan or grieve inside yourself. Paul tells...

We’ve all known those who say they love the “whole human race” but seem to have difficulty interacting with individuals in front of them. Enduring relationships are specific, relational, and intentional....

The saga of Jacob, Laban, and Laban’s daughters revels in a clash of wits. Laban, with possible collusion by the two sisters, outwits Jacob (who has just outwitted his brother Esau)....

Imagine a world leader who delivers a speech that includes a story that doesn’t make a lot of sense to listeners. Then behind closed doors comes the meeting of the cabinet...

When I work hard to do something right and it gets spoiled, I feel surprised at first, then perturbed, and finally sad. The householder-master in this parable responds to the malevolent...

At the church I grew up in, I was as likely to be called “Kay” (my mother’s name) as to be called by my own name. I resemble my mother with...

If someone comes to our house with a search warrant, we may feel guarded. Can we trust this person to be fair? What if they’ve fabricated evidence? Certainly we don’t trust...

When I was ten, I took swimming lessons at the YWCA. On the day of the final session when parents came to watch, my dad’s car broke down in the parking...

I remember a television drama in which a young man explained to his family why he liked a certain woman whom they did not like. He said, “Very few people really...