In the ancient Roman world, a barbarian was anyone who was not Roman. To be Roman was to be civilized, to be part of the broader culture. There was a general sense of shared values and a shared language. To be outside of this accepted norm was to be barbaric. A barbarian could become Roman…

Years ago my wife and I decided to start a family. She left the regular workforce and began volunteering with Project Literacy to fill her time. One Sunday we visited a church and also visited a class for young married couples. I’ll never forget this particular woman who walked up to us, full of confidence…

In the small college I attended, a professor nearly universally adored would often offer hilarious one-liners. If he saw a student distracted and not doing what he or she should be doing he might say, “Don’t just do something; stand there!” One of my favorite lines is—and yes, I have completely and forever stolen this…

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and…

We’ve all heard the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were three Jews who were taken to Babylon in exile. King Nebuchadnezzar foolishly issued a law that required everyone to bow down and worship his image whenever music was played for that purpose. Being worshipers of the one true God, these men refused. The…