Immanuel Lutheran, Chicago Jesus only had time for a few last words before his arrest and crucifixion. He told them to love one another as I have loved you. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) It’s interesting to notice what Jesus didn’t say. He […]
The credits roll. The music plays. Lights come up in the theater. Yet people linger in their seats. They stay for the outtakes—scenes not included in the movie. Sometimes stories include an epilogue that reveals what ultimately happens to the principle characters. We learn Oskar Schindler died bankrupt and penniless in Germany. Bilbo and Frodo Baggins leave their beloved Hobbitsville and […]
Poor tulips and daffodils are weighed down this morning with snow. We are five weeks into Spring. They look vibrant with color and full of the resilience of youth, but I must say, the poor things also look confused. It is sometimes said that nature is God’s first bible. The divine breath Jesus breathed upon the first Christian […]
Alleluia! Christ is risen (Christ is risen indeed, alleluia!) Yet that first Easter morning, despite the fresh bloom of early spring, everything looked dead. Mary Magdalene and the women made their way to the tomb at early dawn. As they did, the ribbons of color spreading through the eastern sky were not beautiful. The budding garden was not […]