Prayers for peace amid conflicts
Overcoming aggressive evil
Why does evil seem so real and powerful? What can we do about it?
Intelligence gathering—a spiritual model
Centuries ago, a band of spies was sent to assess the resources and defenses of a foreign territory. The future of an entire people was at stake, and their leader—the Hebrew patriarch Moses—charged...
‘Refugee is not a profession’
For a number of weeks this message was displayed on big posters hanging in many places here in Berlin. I think it was meant to draw people’s attention to the fact that becoming a refugee is not som...
Can one prayer help end a war?
The disturbing viral photo from Syria—of a little five-year-old boy, bewildered, bloodied, and muddied, rescued from the rubble caused by air strikes—was heartbreaking and compelling to all who saw...
No reign of terror
Not too long ago, I attended a Christmas concert at a local community church. The selections from Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s Messiah were uplifting and reviving. As I looked around me, into the...
Free from fear and terror
We have all probably heard reports on the news of danger and chaos in the world, and they can sometimes make it difficult to feel safe and confident. But when danger is reported, or if we find ours...
How to stop a war
It was the 1960s, and the Vietnam War was raging. Like many members of my generation, I was opposed to the war and very much wanted to help bring it to an end. I felt impelled to pray about the con...
Far from terror
Bombings in the United States, unrest in the Middle East, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires—scanning this year’s headlines, one might be tempted to lament in the words of the Psalmist, “The sorrows...
Prayer—a game-changer in times of conflict
We can all draw nearer to God in any situation.
NEEDED: MORE EFFECTIVE PRAYER
I HAD, OF COURSE, SEEN REPORTS about the high rate of Palestinian civilian casualties during the intense fighting last year in Gaza. But the human side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict suddenly...