Gift giving in some cultures and traditions goes back thousands of years. Matthew 2:11 mentions the Magi visiting “the child [Jesus] with his mother . . . and present[ing] him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” These were complete and utter strangers bringing precious gifts to a child; how would that look in today’s society?
Rise up, O Judge, come save at last,
Unbind the chained, uplift the pressed.
African Christian leaders attending a conference with faith-based health organizations in late November called for countries on the continent to do more to replace U.S. Agency for International Development funds that were cut by the Trump administration earlier this year.
A Michigan man pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated causing death after he drove into a group of four Amish children on bikes on their way to school, killing a 10-year-old boy.
Former Christian Aid Ministries worker Jeriah Mast of Millersburg, Ohio, was indicted Dec. 2 by a federal grand jury on four counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors while he oversaw a school program for CAM.
As December begins, we want to start looking forward to celebrating a joyful Christmas. Doing so is tough with wars still in Ukraine and the Middle East. The world situation is so bleak, some are tempted to give up hope. The Christian Advent is full of hope, but it also reminds us that we have to work to prepare the way for the Lord, not just wait passively for his coming.
The Bible doesn’t tell us everything. The writer of John says there are more miracles that Jesus performed than were included in the book. At other points there are unnamed characters or characters we hear about only once. Do these minor characters have something to say to us?
