Immediately after feeding a multitude with five loaves and two fish, Jesus makes the disciples get into a boat. “Make” is almost too gentle a word. The Greek verb suggests that Jesus compelled them, constrained them, practically forced them into the boat. This is not a pleasant invitation to take an evening cruise. Jesus puts […]

When I was serving a church in Virginia, a member of my congregation shared with me her struggles with mental illness. She had been diagnosed at the age of 22 with bipolar disorder. She was 35 at the time I met and got to know her. You would never have known if you had met […]