The Problem of Anger
In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, I observed that the most frequent response was that of anger. President Francois Hollande, for example, vowed to destroy ISIS while the hacking cooperative Anonymous declared it would mercilessly hunt ISIS members down. It was anger that led the ISIS to attack France and now it is the French people’s turn to give in to anger and strike back, all while ISIS plots to strike – …
I don’t want to be ‘that guy’.
“He who walks with wise men becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20) So, it used to be that people had a group of friends from Church because they had things in common: their faith, their values, their heritage. You could count on your church crew to keep you in check when you felt like you were doing something, or at least, tempted to do, something wrong. In fact, often when – …
The Deeper the Sorrow, the Closer to God
The unprecedented terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Paris today have left many with anguish, fear, and shock in their hearts. In the coming weeks and months, politicians and pundits will speak at great length about what happened and what the world needs to do to address the increase of terrorism throughout the world. I do not write in order to contribute to that discussion, but instead, I echo the Russian proverb, “The deeper the – …
Is Christianity Found on a Cup?
By now, most of us have heard about the recent controversy over Starbucks’ new solid red cups. It all began when Joshua Feurstein, an Evangelical pastor, posted a video about the new red cups, which he believes represents a war on Christ, Christianity, and Christmas. Prior cup designs featured Christmas themes, like snowflakes and reindeer, but this year’s cup is plain, which he finds problematic. His solution? Order a drink under the name “Merry Christmas” as – …
The Beautiful Gate of Nain
On the Fourth Sunday of the blessed Coptic month of Paopi, our Mother, the Holy Church, nourished us with the story of the Raising of the Son of the Widow of Nain in Luke 7:11-17: “And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was – …