My mother is a tutor at an elementary school, whose students include many immigrants and refugees. (In this small school there are twenty-nine languages spoken.) Every day my mom asks her...

Is peace the absence of conflict? Or is it something more? When Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt. 5:9) it was in the context of his praising those who are...

Like any good Christian girl, I have heard the refrain often: As God’s people we are to clothe ourselves in humility, meekness, compassion, kindness, and patience. I have said I wanted...

There is an old story about St. Francis and a wolf that terrorized a small town. Eventually, through the power of God, Francis convinces the wolf to stop attacking people. According...

Advent is about the pain and surprising hope of waiting. We see it everywhere in scripture—including in the story of Hannah in First Samuel. We see it in her inability to...

Bodies are important to God because they are sites of healing, transformation, touch, and comfort. Nobody—no body—is disqualified from the work of God-bearing. As Mary bore Jesus into the world, so...

During this season, it’s common to hear Mark Lowry’s popular Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know?” It may appear on the radio, in the Christmas cantata, or on a favorite holiday...

Often when we focus on Mary, we tend to zero in on her youth, obedience, and chastity. All of this is, of course, part of Mary’s story. But it can be...

In this beautiful, powerful passage, we witness something great. Here, two of the first named prophets of the New Testament greet each other, rejoicing in the work God is doing in...

During this season, prophecy can feel extraordinarily close, just at the tips of our fingers. We can marvel at a child in a manger. We can relate to the struggle of...