ODJ: God speaks
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One day I had an interesting conversation with a young man. Although he believed that God existed, he didn’t think that He was directly involved in the affairs of humanity—a belief known as deism.
There are times when we wonder where God is in this broken, noisy world. But from Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:8) to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2) to th
ODJ: walking close
In 2014 a pod of pilot whales was found floundering in perilously shallow water off the shore of Florida, America. Forty or fifty short-finned whales remained close to a narrow shoreline—choosing not to swim out to the deeper waters, where they would be safe. Several of the blackfish were ill, which caused conservationists to worry. Pilot whales are intensely loyal creatures, and when one in the
ODJ: frozen
Snuggled in blankets, we settled in for one of the worst ice storms our usually temperate climate had ever experienced. Roads had been closed, schools cancelled and citizens warned to stay safely inside their homes. With our power out, we cooked pizza rolls in the fireplace, watched films with our reserve computer battery and slept under layers of blankets to keep warm. In the middle of the night,
ODJ: together
A strange phenomenon is occurring all around me as I write this article. Tucked into the warm splendour of my niece’s living room, I’m observing ants occasionally crawling and darting about on the walls. Why is this strange? Well, there’s nearly 2 feet of snow outside her home, and it was -28°C a few days ago. So I’ve been wondering, How are these tiny creatures surviving? It app
ODJ: spiritual heart attack
Heart attacks are the No. 1 cause of death in many parts of the world. In America a heart attack occurs every 20 seconds, with someone dying from heart disease every 34 seconds. In Singapore one in three deaths is due to heart disease or stroke. We need to pay careful attention to what medical professionals are saying about heart attack prevention: reduce stress, don’t smoke, exercise regularly
ODJ: unchanging
How badly would someone have to betray you before you turned your back on that person forever? What if he told you that he loved you, would even die for you, but shortly thereafter adamantly denied that he even knew you? I’m guessing you’d turn your back on that person, or at least give him the cold shoulder for a few months.
Such is the situation in John 21. Peter had failed Jesus by denying
ODJ: glow worms
In response to a critic, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once replied, “We are all worms, but I do believe that I am a glow-worm.”
Today at a children’s football game I saw a very different, yet increasingly common, response to criticism. Rather than using humour or graciousness to diffuse a situation, a group of parents nearly stormed the field when a referee penali
ODJ: dark secrets
Do you have a dark secret that you’ve kept from others? Maybe you did something you think is so bad that if people found out about it they would have nothing to do with you. Perhaps you’re hooked on watching porn or you struggle with substance abuse. Maybe you’re carrying deep hatred for someone who hurt you.
Some people think that it’s best to keep such skeletons tucked away in a closet.
ODJ: a true friend
A few months after his son’s tragic death, my friend told me that people who had been close were now avoiding him and his family. He said it was as if people no longer wanted to be around them. I asked him why he thought the poor comforters were acting this way. His answer troubled me, for I knew it was the hard truth: “When people don’t feel they can fix a situation, they try to pretend it