There’s a road worthy of our reflection during Holy Week – a road where history was not only made but where God’s redemptive purposes moved toward fulfillment. It’s called the Via Dolorosa – a Latin term meaning the way of sorrow (or suffering). It’s the road that leads to the cross of Jesus.
According to one survey, people in the US will spend an estimated $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. The survey indicates that consumers plan to spend an average of $188.81 on gifts, the most popular being candy (56%), flowers (40%), greeting cards (40%), an evening out (35%) and jewelry (22%). Based on these figures, it seems that love is a lucrative business.
A husband said to his wife, “When I get angry at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?” His wife answered, “I clean the toilet.” The husband, a bit confused, asked, “How does that help?” The wife explained, “I use your toothbrush.” Hopefully that’s not how most people deal with their anger!
There are sandwiches that are called subs if you're in New York, but if you’re in Philadelphia they’re called hoagies. In some places, every soft drink is a Coke. You can tell certain things about people – where they’re from, their influences, maybe even their occupation – by the distinctive words they use and the ways they talk. As Christians, there should be something distinctive about the way we talk.
My wife recently confronted me with my two biggest flaws: she said I don't listen to her and ... well, I don't remember the other one. I wasn't really paying attention. Ok, that didn't really happen [1]. But the truth is that most of us find it difficult to genuinely listen well. Do you consider yourself a good listener? More importantly, would those around you – your friends, your co-workers, your roommates, your spouse, and your children – describe you as a good listener?
A second-grade teacher was teaching a science lesson on magnets and what they do. At the end of the week, she gave her students a science quiz that included this problem: I have six letters. The first one is M, and I pick up things. What am I? When grading the quizzes, the teacher found that almost half the students answered “mother” instead of “magnet.”
Some people fall out of the public spotlight and we wonder what ever happened to them, like celebrities featured on Where Are They Now? segments. For example, some of you might remember the 1971 film version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The role of Charlie Bucket was played by an actor named Peter Ostrum. Whatever happened to him? Well, rather than pursue a career in film, he decided to attend Cornell University and earned a veterinarian degree. He ran his own practice in Lowville, New York until recently retiring in 2023.
It may not be important to you to know what happened to Peter Ostrum. However, when it comes to Jesus, it's very important for us to know: where is he now and what is he doing?
March 17 marks the annual observance of St. Patrick’s Day. Sadly, most celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day today center around leprechauns, the color green, and decadent partying with rarely a mentioned of St. Patrick’s actual life or his work as a missionary for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Most of us probably attach some varying level of significance to Feb. 14. It’s Valentine’s Day. And according to comedian Jim Gaffigan, without Valentine’s Day, February would be … well, January.
