In my wilderness, as in the Hebrew Exodus, manna appeared in the morning, a pillar of cloud rose up to shade me in the sweltering afternoon desert sun, and a pillar of fire warmed me and lighted my way through the darkness of night. Literally “manna” means, “What is this?” The first manna recipients wondered …
The Will To Hope
In the dark I began to realize that Jesus was nearby, furiously digging through the rubble of my caved-in life, slaughtering my adversaries. It seemed that as I worshipped he poured his refreshing Spirit into my darkness and gave me the will to hope for a better day. God hides, and is found, precisely in …
Hope, a Revolutionary Patience
Hope is a revolutionary patience… Hope begins in the dark, knowing that the dawn will come. Anne Lamott No clock or calendar can tell whether we’re at the beginning, the middle, or near the end of any bleak experience. Unlike the obsidian darkness, which arrived all at once, after six months or so the light …
Joy Makes a Comeback!
Joy was like a distant relative I hadn’t seen since childhood. People who live in the extreme hemispheres don’t see the sun for so long that they forget its warmth and illuminating power. I remembered the term but couldn’t quite recall how joy felt. . . Like a friend tossing pebbles at your window from …
Encounter or Explanation?
Job’s book concludes with a surprise visit from God, but instead of comforting the sufferer, he interrogates him about his whereabouts while he (God) was busy creating. He doesn’t refer to Job’s suffering. He doesn’t answer any of Job’s questions or defend himself against any of Job’s accusations. He doesn’t explain why he was silent …
