Simpleigh

In 1972 the United States was at war with Vietnam.  That same year, a man named Brian wrote a letter.  He sent it to Verona, Italy - where the secretaries of Juliet reside.  Juliet, as in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  It would be his last letter. And this is what he wrote: Dear Juliet,  I am in a bunker. Outside I hear missiles exploding, bullets being fired. I am twenty-two years old and I'm scared. Our commander has told us that soon we must come out. A hand-to-hand battle awaits us. I feel I will die. I leave life with this brief note. I am entrusting it to you, symbol of universal love. I delude myself by thinking it will make people understand the futility of hate.  Brian L.  War is hell. Movies and politicians may try and make us believe otherwise: but even this twenty- two year old understood that hate, in whatever form it may take, is hell.  I will not exclude Christians from this equation. We're all aware of th...

Macaulay Culkin  married Rachel Miner at 17. LeAnn Rimes tied the knot with Dean Sheremet at age 19. Kate Hudson and Avril Lavigne married their ex-husbands at 21. And Jessica Simpson famously tied the knot with Nick Lachey, at age 22. Sure, celebrities are known for impulsive marriages - and even faster divorces - but is marrying  so  young, really an oddity in toady's young Christian circles?  On my very first day of college, a nice group of students from 'Campus Crusade for Christ' helped me carry in my dorm room furniture. These young-attractive-collegiates, graciously lugged my crap back and forth for an hour. In return, they only asked for one thing: come check out Campus Crusade sometime.  Fair enough.  That Thursday night, myself and my roommate Lael, made our way for a young adult night with Campus Crusade. First we met the volunteers; alumni who came to host small groups and lead activities. Funnily enough, they ...

::Ding dong:: "Who's there honey?" "Just some kids in white shirts and skinny black ties. They look clean cut! Wonder what they want..." I know what you're thinking - boyscouts.  Please.... when you read "skinny black ties," you knew  exactly  who I was talking about. Just like if I said: women dressed like penguins. There's no mistaking them with playboy bunnies, is there? Not only do you know exactly who I'm talking about, you know precisely what they are here to do. They're going to witness to you - prosthelytize, drop some Jesus knowledge... whatever term you want to use. They're going to tell you about the gospel. Sometimes, wether you like it or not.  Not many of us like this approach. We rarely appreciate when someone turns around in our driveway, let alone when they charge on to our front porch and try to talk us into a whole new ideology.  However, I can't knock...

I've only fasted once in my life. It was the Jewish holiday of Purim, a yearly remembrance of Queen Esther's courage, which saved the Jewish residences of Susa from extermination. For three days, she and her tribe fasted and prayed to God for wisdom and strength. "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which  is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16) It was senior year and I was thirsty for some discernment. On day two I ate 3 brownies (at bible study no less), and the fast was over. Or as I like to call it, the Ghandi Diet . In almost every book of the bible people are fasting. Moses fasts when he receives the ten commandments. Ezra fasts in mourning for the ungrateful returning exiles. And, of course, Jesus fasts for 40 days and nights in the desert.  Buddha, a key figure in many major world rel...

"Our Father, who art in Heaven..." This quote has been said by more people, in more places around the world, than almost any other. It is, of course, the opening line of the Lord's prayer - the most familiar prayer of the Christian tradition. Jesus teaches his disciples this prayer in the sixth chapter of Matthew. However, Jesus isn't the first person in history to pray or to formalize a prayer. In the Hebrew bible every great patriarch and matriarch regularly practices prayer. And yet, even thousands of years before the Judeo-Christian tradition, humans were offering prayers to the gods.  It would appear that prayer meets an intrinsic human need.  It arises in us during times of suffering  and  joy. Prayer crosses every constructed boundary wether racial, political, economic, or religious. People of all ages and all nationalities pray. Some pray in temples, others in cubicles. Catholics light candles... Nepalese Buddhists spin wheels....

A few years ago, blogger Jon Acuff wrote a book called, "Stuff Christians Like." What's it about? It's exactly what it sounds like: stuff Christians like.  In a little under 200 pages, Acuff meticulously walks you through  every  evangelical fad and quirk you've always noticed, but never dared to poke fun at. For example, there is the magic word we Christians use during corporate prayer to sway God's favor -  'just'. "Lord, we just pray you will just hear us tonight. We just lift up our hands to you and just pray that you will just send your love down to us in ways we just can't understand. Take us just as we are, Lord. Just, just, just, just..." (p.52) I bring this up, because I recently (finally!) bought the book, and it got me thinking; what stuff don't Christians like?  Here's the list I came up with:  1) Taking the "Christ" out of Christmas 2) Church traffic 3) Waiting past the age of ...