Hosea used his personal experience to understand the ways of God in the world. His disastrous marriage to an unfaithful wife modeled for him God’s dealings with Israel. God chided them for their infidelity and demanded that they change their ways. Later in the book he used another experience, that of fatherhood, to help understand… Read More »

When Jesus gave his apostles their marching orders he told them, “Do not go into pagan territory… Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He was very clear that his mission was to his own people. However, a few chapters later in St. Matthew’s Gospel Jesus was on vacation in Lebanon… Read More »

St. Mark reported that “At sight of the crowds, [Jesus’] heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned.” Today we almost experience a pity overload. Our hearts go out to the young boys trapped in a cave. The latest victims of a school shooting evoke pity.  Just walking down the… Read More »

Everyone remembers their first love. The experience of being something more than yourself, of being connected with another, leaves an indelible impression. The prophet Hosea uses that image to remind Israel of their relationship with God. The Lord said: “I will lead [Israel] into the desert and speak to her heart. She shall respond there… Read More »

What makes for a great family?  Is it when the men are strong, the women are good looking and all the children are above average?  What makes for a great country?  Is it when you can kick sand in the face of all the other countries and do whatever you want?  What makes for a… Read More »

In its original context the phrase “to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable” referred to the role of newspapers. When we apply it to prophets like Amos it reminds us that they served something of the role that media plays in modern society. Amos looked beneath the gaudy excesses of the royal court… Read More »

The pastor of one of the first mega-churches, Rick Warren, is also the best selling author of A Purpose-Driven Life. More recently he observed in a magazine article that even though he had studied the Bible his whole life and had several advanced degrees including a doctorate, nowhere did his studies highlight the fact that over… Read More »

Throughout the summer we will read from the Old Testament prophets. Interestingly we start off this sequence with Amos objecting to being called a prophet. “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets.” This despite the fact that his call from God was clear. “The LORD said to me, ‘Go,… Read More »

A memorial in Montgomery, Alabama is dedicated to those who lost their lives fighting for civil rights. Maya Lin, the designer (who also designed the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.) said that she knew little of the civil rights movement when she was given the commission. During her research she was struck by Dr. King’s… Read More »

St. Thomas probably thought the other apostles were engaged in wishful thinking. I wish Jesus was here too, but “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Thomas understood that it is not… Read More »