A few years ago I started a vegetable garden in our front yard. I was thrilled to see the fruit growing from the long vines—grape tomato vines entangled with large slicing tomatoes, growing into one another, all mixed up and bound together as they reached out their leaves and branches to the sun, reds and yellows, beautiful and delicious …
Robin died of pneumonia in the woods behind Wal-Mart. She lived in the forest for the past decade, but it wouldn’t be exactly true to say that she was “homeless.” She called the forest her home …
No one expected me to get back in time for our worship service. But I left the Mennonite Church USA convention in Columbus, Ohio, early enough Sunday morning to arrive …
Bare, white walls. Clean linoleum floors. Hints of disinfectant in the air. I rounded the corner on my way to Cameron’s room in the stroke unit of the hospital. To my delight and surprise, I saw Tom waiting in the hall while a nurse met with Cameron. I don’t know why I was surprised that people from church would pay him a visit …
Alex’s eyes glistened. With his hand resting gently on Martin’s newborn head, he prayed: “Martin, may God bless you and keep you. May the very face of God shine upon you, and be gracious to you” …
