Our readings from Lamentations and the Psalms reflect on the same historical events from two different perspectives. The Babylonian Empire conquered Judah, leaving the capital city of Jerusalem desolate and in...

Many of us connect eternal life with life after death, something that happens after we die. Paul offers a powerful vision of eternal life now: a life rooted in gentleness, love,...

Lately for me, abundant life has meant taking refuge under God’s wings. Here I can completely lay down any illusion that I can fix whatever is wrong. Over the last eight...

In Psalm 91, the psalmist runs to God for refuge from danger and destruction. I don’t hear the word refuge much these days. It’s not really American to want to take...

Jesus offers a rare and shocking picture of God’s keeping score with Lazarus and the rich man. Jesus usually presents God as generous and forgiving. Just one chapter earlier (see Luke...

God asks Jeremiah to do this seemingly crazy thing—buy property in a land that is being conquered by a foreign enemy. Just as his people are taken captive into Babylon, Jeremiah...

The story of Lazarus and the rich man is a warning about getting so caught up in our own ideas of success that we miss out on the real story of...

The world as the Israelites knew it is ending. With an enemy army moving in on Jerusalem, it is clear that Judah is lost to this foreign, conquering power. Their families,...

These philosophical observations from Jesus come as a summary to his unusual and confusing parable about the Rich Man and the Dishonest Manager. The first few verses are as confusing as...

This strange parable seems on its surface to be about the morality of money, but deeper examination points to Jesus’ countercultural vision for human relationship and community. The framing of this...