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My Father’s Hands
For Bruce. Thank you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands (Isaiah 49:16). I was dreaming, but I could feel my breath. Slow and shallow, full of fear. I stood before a weather-beaten house. Its rough-hewn wooden door was colorless from years of storm and sun. There was no knob. No place for a knob, either. Open the door. Jesus stood beside me, like a friend who goes with you to help you be brave. But it has no knob. And I’m afraid. He placed His hand on the door and it swung wide. Entering first, He reached out his hand toward me. I gripped it and followed. To our left in a small room, a man cradled a baby. His… Read More
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A Letter to my Muslim Friend at Lent
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:5). niptō: (Greek) to wash; to cleanse; to perform ablution. Dear Fatima, I can’t stop thinking about our conversation yesterday. The question you asked me. Why don’t you Christians have to make yourselves clean before you pray? We are women. We are told we cannot approach God unless we are clean. That He will not accept our prayers if we are dirty. This has always bothered me about my own religion, Audrey. I see you working so hard to make yourself clean. Clean enough to approach God. Pure enough to bring your prayers before Him, hoping He will… Read More