But if the Christmas story in Luke is framed with joy, there is a different kind of joy in John, a strange kind, the joy of tent-living.
Letters from SPICE
During my Study Program in Central Europe (SPICE) last semester, I spent many assignment hours on reflections for my Culture and Society class. Some of those reflections took the form of letters—written to my past self, future self, past SPICE students, my parents, my Dutch ancestors, etc. Here, I’ve selected a few of those letters from a compilation I made …
Mary: Our Role Model?
Even if we’re not called to give birth to the Messiah, we are called to mimic Mary’s process. We’re called to waiting, to certainty of the good to come, to expectancy, and to preparation for the now-not-yet’s full arrival.
Believing Together
Despite the differences in their situations – the unlikely pregnancy of an old woman who bore the shame of barrenness for years and the completely impossible pregnancy of a young unwed virgin – these two women faced many of the same challenges as first-time mothers.