There was a dinner party in Bethany. It was like the meal after a funeral, I suppose, full of stories about the person who had died. The family was around, friends of the family were there. Unlike every funeral meal I’ve been part of, however, in this case the person who had died was listening […]

Caiaphas spoke for God. Cephas tried to. Caiaphas was the high priest. He was the top of the religious hierarchy. He was the one who was honored and respected. He was the one who could go into the holiest place around, the place no one else dared go. When Caiaphas spoke, it was as an […]

When talking to to someone about a difficult choice, I sometimes ask, “what’s the worst thing that could happen?” Sometimes the answer is, “I don’t know.” I ask them why they are fearful. Sometimes the answer is “I might offend that person.” I ask them if the opinion of that person actually matters. Sometimes the […]

“How we do things.” That’s the status quo. Whoever we is, decides. And whoever we is, defends. We build rules. We build penalties. We welcome. We shun. We shape whatever we can shape to keep whatever authority we can keep. And when the outsiders, the newcomers, the challengers begin to threaten our status, we will […]

“This sickness will not end in death.” That’s what Jesus said when he heard that his friend Lazarus was sick. It’s a pretty odd statement, given that the only thing that he had been told was, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” There is no word in the story about how sick Lazarus was. […]