Viktor Frankl yearned to make a contribution to humanity. As a respected young psychiatrist in Vienna before World War II, he had meticulously prepared the manuscript for a book that he dared to believe might help change the world. Since he and his wife were not yet parents, he called it “my mental child.” Then the Nazis came to power. … Read more »
The more time you spend with God, the more likely you are at some point to wrestle with God. Spoiler alert: You will lose that wrestling match. But there’s a good chance you will end up with a souvenir from the encounter that will be well worth keeping. The prototypical divine-human wrestling match is reported in Genesis 32:22-32, which has… Read more »
In his 1970 book Habitation of Dragons, Keith Miller tells about a memorable conversation in a small group of adults who were struggling to learn how to follow Jesus. As part of a get-acquainted exercise, each member shared something about his or her childhood. Miller writes: “One older lady had had a good many disappointments and seemed bitter about her past. … Read more »
During the summer I turned 10 years old, I was on top of the world. I played lots of softball. I was even asked to be the starting pitcher in my league’s All-Star Game. Our family took a memorable road trip. It culminated in a visit to Mammoth Cave, which launched my lifelong love of spelunking. As a kid who… Read more »
Father Gregory Boyle is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, a widely acclaimed gang intervention program. It’s a ministry that involves considerable heartache. As of 2017 and the release of his book Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship, Boyle had presided at the funerals of 220 gang members, most of whom had died… Read more »