ODJ: origins
If the book of Judges were turned into a mini-series, we wouldn’t permit young children to view it. The book shows life in early Israel as violent, ugly and self-serving. Villains abounded. One such bad guy was Abimelech, the son of the heroic Gideon (see Judges 9:1-5,50-56). Spoiler alert: he killed all his brothers except one and usurped power for himself. He also met an interesti
ODJ: community of the scarred
As a missionary served in Estonia, many deaf people received salvation in Jesus. The new believers began praying fervently for the ability to hear, and, miraculously, two were healed! But then, as the missionary recalls, “Immediately these two brothers were on the outside of the deaf community.” That’s when the remaining deaf believers in Jesus recognised their deafness was a g
ODJ: don’t quit caring
In the midst of the rain and cold of an icy winter in 2014, more than 800 illegal shack-dwelling families were evicted from their homes along the southwest coast of South Africa. Although the eviction followed a high court order to prevent further land invasions and had come after many years of wrangling between land owners and the city council, the timing and the method of the eviction caused a p
ODJ: larger than suffering
The 2010 French film Of Gods and Men recounts the inspiring and tragic story of nine Trappist monks who lived in the small Algerian monastery of Tibhirine. For years the various religious communities lived in friendship. As the political climate deteriorated, however, radical elements took advantage and gained power. The Brothers debated whether they should escape Algeria, but eventually
ODJ: the comparison game
The Germans have a word for it: schadenfreude. It means to take joy in another’s misery. We can sometimes feel schadenfreude when someone else slips up. A politician we don’t admire stumbles over his words. A famous person who has great wealth suddenly goes bankrupt. Part of us feels sad, but we might also secretly enjoy the turn of events.We can often be perfectly co
ODJ: faith to follow
Students at a university watched as a mother duck waddled over a cement wall and landed one metre below. For her, it was nothing special. But for the yellow-feathered babies following her, it was an inconceivable feat. The ducklings peeped and milled around on the ledge above their mother. Finally one little duck jumped, landed on his side and rolled to his feet. He chose to follow his mother, an
ODJ: someone loves you
During Valentine’s Day each year, nearly $18.6 billion dollars are spent across America—$1.6 billion of which is spent on chocolate and $4.4 billion is spent on jewellery! We’re so driven by consumerism these days that we can come to believe that romantic love revolves around gifts. We can even begin to think that the best way to know if someone really cares about us is if they&r
ODJ: forgiving the offender
During his final pizza delivery of the night, three young men robbed and pistol-whipped 19 year old Brady (causing a gash on his head that required 70 stitches). Fast forward 5 years. In June 2014, Brady and one of the young men who had assaulted him are the best of friends! Brady, a believer in Jesus, reached out to Marcellous—extending forgiveness and friendship. Marcellous credit
ODJ: relational navigation
Our family truly enjoys the thrills and adrenaline rush found in theme park rides. One recent ride we braved included a 170 foot drop. During the intense ride, I lost my bearings at one point and had no idea where we were headed. I was no longer in control, but simply hurtling down a twisting, turning track.Whether through the decisions made by other people or events beyond our human control, we c