The film Jesus Revolution portrays the spiritual awakening of the 1960s and the way that one young man, Greg Laurie, was swept up, saved by grace, and called by God to be a Christian pastor and evangelist. Baptisms anchor the film, and the most pivotal is the baptism of Laurie (Joel Courtney). The depiction of Laurie’s baptism is a moving reminder of what we believe about death, burial, and resurrection. Though he is clutched firmly…
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started February 24 and continues unabated. And the longer it goes, the more the world sees the capacity for evil that has been hiding behind the Iron Curtain, just waiting for the chance to pounce. Thousands of people have died, millions have become refugees, and tensions are rising between the world’s most powerful militaries. At home our economy is unstable, and our leaders are wringing their hands and wiping their brows…
In mid-March, archeologists uncovered a fresh fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave on the outskirts of Jerusalem. It is a small piece around 2,000 years old, and it bears a verse from a Greek translation of the Old Testament prophets. The first batch of the Dead Sea Scrolls was discovered in 1947 by a Bedouin herder who tossed a rock into a cave and heard a cracking sound. He investigated and found…
What happens when we die? It’s the perennial human question. It haunts and humbles, fascinates and frightens. Should the prospect of death strike fear, elicit yawns, or cause us to rejoice? Our interest in death has also generated a fascination with “Near Death Experiences” (NDEs) or reports of people who die and then “return,” usually within a few minutes. Christians are no exception, lured by books in the Christian market that fuel this fascination and…
The tragic death of 2-year-old Olive Heiligenthal on December 14 rattled the Christian community of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. And their prayers for her resurrection ignited a national conversation. At the time, blogs, news reports, and the church’s own social media provided exhaustive coverage. And as I read these reports and blogs, I noticed that in the clamor to condemn or condone something critical was either brushed past too quickly or ignored altogether. So,…
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were visiting a private Catholic school near London on March 20, shaking hands and greeting excited fans of all ages. But when Prince Harry reached out to shake hands with four-year-old Emmanuel Osei, the boy appeared confused. “When is Prince Harry coming?” he asked. “But I’m Prince Harry,” the Royal replied. But Emmanuel just figured this man didn’t understand the question, so he repeated…