To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here J.R.R. Tolkien was about 50 years old when he had an almost paralyzing experience of writer’s block. He was working on The Lord of the Rings, the monumental fantasy that has come to be regarded by many as the 20th century’s most transforming work of fiction. Tolkien was a philologist – an expert in the study… Read more »
To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast, click here So, you want to live forever? Most people do, you know. “Our frantic efforts to outlive ourselves” have been primary shapers of human culture for thousands of years. That’s the conclusion of Professor Clay Jones, a faculty member at Talbot Seminary in Los Angeles, in his recent book Immortal: How the… Read more »
If there’s such a thing as the Most Disappointing Verse in the Bible, Revelation 21:1 just might be the one. John the evangelist reports a breathtaking glimpse of heaven in chapter 21 of the Bible’s last book. Verse four gets a lot of press, and deservedly so: “[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more… Read more »
C.S. Lewis once imagined what it would be like to grow up in a prison. In a sermon that was ultimately published as The Weight of Glory the British author and theologian crafted a fable in which a woman is incarcerated. She’s expecting a child. Her son arrives and then grows up with her in that dark and limited space. … Read more »
Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, the computer scientist credited with inventing the World Wide Web, was recently asked what aspect of internet usage surprised him the most. His one-word answer? “Kittens.” Cats have gradually taken over our homes and our hearts. Within the past decade they have soared past dogs as America’s most common house pet, now taking lengthy naps in at… Read more »
