Christian Life

Saint Jerome, in his commentary on Galatians, talks about the time when Johnthe Beloved, Bishop of Ephesus, was no longer able to preach, teach, or evenstand. Parishioners would carry him to his seat in the church. Each Sunday hewould say to the assembled congregation, “Little children, love one another.”[1] Many years of leading, discipling, counseling, preaching, and teaching werereduced into a simple but important message of love.

Author Jay Harvey discusses his Group Bible Study, Sharing Your Faith. Sharing Your Faith is part of our Group Bible Studies series, Relevance.

How do you teach your kids to pursue purity in an age where anything goes? Jennie Bishop, author of the best-selling children's book "The Princess and the Kiss," discusses why it's so important to talk about this topic with your kids.

The word “hope” embodies optimism and trust that, no matter the challenges, things will get better. Many of you, like me, probably struggled with believing that during 2020. COVID-19 has stretched and tried and tested us. We’ve lost loved ones to the virus or battled it ourselves. We’ve endured separation from family and friends. Many lost jobs and are suffering financially. The list of losses is lengthy.

If some fiction writers had penned the Christmas story, they may have had Jesus born in a palace, attended by servants, and laid on soft pillows. Instead, the reality of how love came down at Christmas includes childbirth in a stable, where Mary was attended, as far as we know, only by Joseph. When the Christ Child entered the world, He was placed in a manger, a trough that held animals’ food. You can be sure the stable’s dirt and smells were typical of a place occupied by animals.

“Merry Christmas!” we say in the United States. “Joyeux Noel!” exclaim the French. The Brits say, “Happy Christmas!” “Frohe Weihnachten!” echoes throughout Germany. And “Feliz Navidad!” can be heard in many countries. No matter how you say it, when it comes to Christmas the world over, we all share the same idea. Christmas is a time for joy. Feeling joyous in December is downright human. If you’re not happy at Christmas, you may as well be Mr. Scrooge himself.

Except this year is so different. This year, amid all the chaos that defines 2020, we are now faced with lonely holidays to keep ourselves and our extended families safe. This year, instead of gathering for tree lightings and Christmas Eve services that focus on bringing us together, we will stay intentionally apart. To me, that doesn’t feel the same as every other Christmas. It certainly doesn’t feel like anything that resembles peace.

Brokenness. For many of us, that word describes not just a season in our lives, but a place of identity. This year, the year that none of us anticipated or likely could have imagined, has become a year when many have admitted their brokenness for the first time.

The young corporal, only 19, faced the biggest decision of his life. Surrounded by German soldiers, his commanding officer dead, and suddenly in charge of his unit, he asked himself, “Do we keep fighting or surrender and hopefully live to fight another day?”

As I grew in my faith and experience as a mother, I also grew in my maturity as a believer. My thoughts evolved. Here are some key points I learned and which you may want to consider as you think through a conversation about Halloween in your family.