An old saying among black folks is that we laugh to keep from crying. We sing and dance in defiance to the dreadfulness of our days. Our joy protests the persistent suffering and instability that has so often shaded our path. Frustratingly, it has left...
Lost in the hoopla surrounding this past weekend’s kick-off to the NFL season is one of America’s great sporting events: the US Open tennis finals. This year was spectacular. In the men’s final, the two top seeds squared off with a Grand Slam bid on the...
"I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1 Our lives are full of constantly shifting circumstances, disruptions, and potential distractions. The one thing that is likely never to change is the reality that everything will and...
Is it true that, if you were stranded on a desert island and could only eat parsley, you would die of starvation, since the effort to eat it is more than the nutrition you would receive? When I ask about the presence of parsley on a...
Dear God, Right now I'm sitting in a quiet room in my home. My dog snores beside me. A cup of warm tea and a laptop, my phone, a prayer book, a novel, gifts from my nieces and nephews surround me. On my run this morning, as...
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62 Remember Lot’s wife. Luke 17:32 One of the greatest things I ever learned from running in track meets in grade school and high...
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 My prayer today is simple: “LORD, allow my words to be seasoned with both truth and grace; may they build up and not tear down; may they heal and not destroy.” I...
Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise! 2 Corinthians 4:15 Sometimes when you are born into dysfunction, you just learn to live with things. Sometimes when you are confronted with chronic ailments...
The greatest commandments are these: Love the LORD with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). I used to think that hate was the opposite of love, but I've since learned that hate is the absence of...