Naaman is a great man, a powerful and wealthy military commander. But he has leprosy. While his disease does not disable him, it must be distressing nonetheless. The slave girl, by...

Jesus got angry. This has always made sense to me intellectually, especially when I ponder the Incarnation, the confession that, in Jesus, God is truly and fully one of us. However,...

When a bad mood spreads we often think nothing good can come of it, and usually we’re right. But sometimes important—if uncomfortable—growth can only come from something as foul as a...

I hate forks in the road. I don’t care if it is a highway interchange or an intersection out in the country. Even if I know exactly where I am going,...

During my life I have usually employed the Psalms as personal devotional prayers. But the Psalms primarily function as the songbook of God’s people. When the community gathers, the members share...

The Psalms are a big deal. They’re strewn throughout the New Testament. Jesus quotes Psalm 22 from the cross. Monks chant them in chapels. You can’t overstate their importance in Judeo-Christian...

I remember moving across the country during a difficult time in my life. As I packed up the kitchen, I—how to say it—accidentally broke a plate or two. (wink, nudge.) It...

Often we do not control the most important matters in life. Consider Elisha. The great Elijah calls him to follow, and he does. Elisha leaves his home and serves Elijah. And...

To fully grasp this story’s meaning, we must understand the place of the pig in the author’s time and culture. Even the most cursory look at Jewish dietary law brings to...

I’ve heard an old saying that rings true: “Sometimes you prefer the devil you know to the devil you don’t.” When I was a young seminarian, I counseled with a woman...