The Source of Joy

In his book, "Here and Now," Henri Nouwen writes, "Joy does not come from positive predictions about the state of the world. It does not depend upon the ups and downs of the circumstances of our lives. Joy is based on the spiritual knowledge that, while the world we live in is shrouded in darkness, God has overcome the world. Jesus says it loudly and clearly: 'In the world, you will have troubles, but rejoice, I have overcome the world.'

The surprise is not that, unexpectedly, things turn out better than expected. No, the real surprise is that God's light is more real than all the darkness, that God's truth is more powerful than all human lies, that God's love is stronger than death."

And through it all, we have the assurance in Hebrews that through Christ, we receive mercy and grace to help us in our times of need.

You go before me and follow me

As I read this magnificent Psalm, I am reminded again of how much more I need to fill myself with God and not with all the externals that I let fill me and satisfy me. St Augustine is right when he says that whatever we love outside of God, the less we love God. Yet, as this Psalm says, God never gives up on us!

The Purpose of Life

Psalm 139.1 and the Chambers' quotation may seem, on the surface, to be a strange juxtaposition. I will let you draw your own conclusions. One thought I have is the infinite depth of God's call to us. He examines our hearts; He knows everything about us. How can we settle for anything less than His call to holiness and love?

The immediate importance of God

I was looking back over some of my pictures from my first trip to New Zealand in early 2009. I was struck again by the beauty of the country and the majesty of God. Rabbi Heschel and Henri Nouwen speak from a Jewish and a Catholic background, respectively. Like the Psalmist in Psalm 32, they remind of us the immediate importance of God. God is not someone we put off into the future. He is the NOW!