ODJ: after the apocalypse
Popular films like The Hunger Games and Divergent explore what the world might be like on the other side of the apocalypse. These gritty films try to imagine how those who have suffered through a cosmic catastrophe could pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives.The Jews faced a similar problem when they returned from captivity: the temple was in ruins. The young people shouted for joy when they
ODJ: unfair
Which of these two questions causes you to squirm the most: Why do seemingly honourable people suffer? or Why do the people who do bad things prosper? I wrestle with both of them. For instance, it makes we wonder why people who strike unethical deals and cheat on their contracts seem to get away with their schemes and even prosper, while people who are seeking to live for Jesus s
ODJ: what are you afraid of?
One of my jobs, being a rock-climbing instructor, includes helping people overcome their fear of heights. I explain to them that the real issue isn’t falling, but hitting the ground. Then I remind my clients that they have the proper safety equipment and good anchor points—making it impossible for them to drop. One thing they need to grasp is that their mind is actually lying to them,
ODJ: if
If you had a crystal ball that could show you your future, what do you think you would see? What current choices or decisions would you make to try to change where your life is leading?In “Do You Even Know Me Anymore?” Mark Schultz sings, “I’ve watched my days turn into years, and now I’m wondering how I wound up here. I dreamed my dreams, I made my plans, but all I&r
ODJ: crossing the line
The deaf community at the midsize American church was struggling. Two of their most faithful members had died. Their longtime interpreter was retiring, and the church was changing pastors.The new pastor knew the importance of speaking to people in their language, so he worked on his sign-language skills. One Sunday, prior to the worship service, he struck up a halting conversation with on
ODJ: sacred places
It was a holy place, a sacred place, a place unlike any other temple. Before there had come the marble and gold, altars and precious stones, columns, walls and the Holy of Holies, it was a place of divine-human intimacy. The construction costs were relatively small, it had no great beauty, and it was nothing anyone would envy.After all, it was just a tent.But that tent became the place wh
ODJ: a friend in need
Some dear friends of mine lost their little boy, Raphael, to death after just 8 weeks of life. Although my heart broke for them and I longed to be a comfort, I had no idea how to ease their pain.Job also faced incredible loss and grief and needed comfort. Though he feared God and had been blessed with children and possessions (Job 1:1-3), he was not immune to suffering.Satan claimed that Job remai
ODJ: towards the small
Recently, after I had a blunt interaction with my oldest son, my wife brought me aside and said, “I think you were a little hard on him. You really swelled up and charged into the situation with a lot of force.” It wasn’t that my son didn’t need to be corrected (he did), but the way I dealt with him didn’t express the gentleness my son needed.Philippians 2 gives the m
ODJ: working with enemies
My friend Stephanie opened a second hand shop in a small town. She planned to funnel the proceeds to a ministry for unwed teenage mothers. Soon another secondhand shop opened nearby. The owners of that shop began buying Stephanie’s items and reselling them at higher prices. Stephanie knew it was underhanded, but she found that it allowed her to get to know them and tell them about Jesus. An