Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”          John 14:6

On this Good Friday, 2026 I am reflecting on the man crucified, and the human nature that led his enemies to do that. Was he crucified for healing people- maybe for healing them at the “wrong time” (the Sabbath)? Was he killed because he raised people from the dead? Was he persecuted because he taught people about the true nature of God?

The answer to those questions was likely, “No”. He was persecuted because he was seen as a disrupter to organized religion. In fact, he was called a “blasphemer”. He also fell into disfavor from those who sought political deliverance from Roman rule. In fact, Jesus never promised political deliverance- only spiritual reconciliation from a loving father.

Jesus displayed moral courage because he spoke the truth no matter the cost. He did that because he loved people, and he knew that indeed, the “truth shall set us free”. To paraphrase a line from the movie, A Few Good Men, the people who crucified Jesus “couldn’t handle the truth”. In other words, the truth did not line up with the narrative they wanted to advocate. Jesus was dangerous to them because their political or religious structures were being threatened.

So, the completely innocent Jesus was put to death because he threatened cherished and entrenched systems. The self-interest of those people and their groups were protected at the expense of Jesus. In the end, of course, truth triumphed. Jesus lives on in the lives and hearts of untold millions of people. His moral courage endures for those who choose to follow it.

Prayer: Lord, Jesus lives, as does his example to us. Thank you for sending your Son to us, Amen

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  

John 13:14

Today is Holy Thursday. It has also been called Maundy Thursday, taken from the Latin word Mandatum, and shortened to “Maundy”. Mandatum is the Latin word from which we get the word “mandate” in English- that which is commanded.

It was of course at the Last Supper – the celebration of the Hebrew Seder meal- that Jesus commanded his disciples to carry on and remember to share bread together in remembrance of his body being broken as a sacrifice for people. The Passover meal is rich in symbolism of a people being redeemed by a special and miraculous work of God.

He also washed the feet of the disciples, something that Peter rebelled against, until he realized that taking on the role of servant to one another, even in the most menial of ways, is the way that Jesus followers should act.

Your church may have special services on this day to commemorate this Maundy Thursday. But whether or not you have such a service, this is a good day to remember that Jesus became the suffering servant as a model for us to follow.

Prayer: Lord, help us to remember that following Jesus is an act of serving others, Amen

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now                                                     Philippians 1:3-5

Today is April 1^st and that means it is April Fool’s Day, but more importantly for me, it also marks an anniversary- the 6^th anniversary of this blog, reflectionsofacounselor.com. I had posted the blog for a few years before that, but April 1, 2020 was the day I decided to post it every day. The blog has been posted every day since then.

As you recall, that was in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I felt that I needed to post in order to have a sense of having a voice, and some level of control during a very troubling and chaotic time. I hope it benefits my readers, but you see, it is also good for me.

Therefore, I want to sincerely thank my readers who read regularly, and many who read it every day. It gives me joy to see regular readers from the United States, led by people in North Bergen, New Jersey; Cincinnati, Ohio; Kentucky, Texas, Iowa, California, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, Illinois, Oregon, South Carolina, and Kansas. Actually, over the years, I have had readers from every state in the union.

I also have faithful readers in Ireland, China, Singapore, Norway, England, Canada, Australia, and at least a dozen other countries at various times over the years.  I name these places because I want my readers in those places to know that I see you, and I value your following!    

As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…

Prayer: Lord, you have given us a long distance relationship with people whom we will never meet this side of heaven. What a blessing that has been, Amen  

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

In past blogs I have written about the concept of paradox, that is, a truth that appears contrary to common sense. I have also written about my little backyard pond, and the very hardy fish that occupies that pond. He/she is, (I will call her a female for sake of pronoun redundancy), by my reckoning, at least eight years old. This little mutt (by the way at least 5 times larger than when she was set into her current home) has thrived through every season, every frigid winter, and every blazing summer. I have named her “Hardy”. I thought about adding another fish named Laurel, but Hardy would probably not like sharing her space after all these years. Several years ago, I added a few little fish and they succumbed to – well something got them.  Hardy however, has survived splendidly on her own.

Yes, I place a de-icer in the pond when sub-zero temperatures would freeze it solid. I tend to the pond health by thinning overgrown aerating plants, skim out leaves as best I can to avoid too much decaying organic matter, and rarely, I add a little water in the summer when evaporation makes the water level a bit low.

The fish however has never been fed by me. She must fend for herself, eating the algae, any insects she can find, and whatever else she may decide is nourishing. She must avoid predators such as snakes, an occasional blue heron, one of the feral cats in the neighborhood, maybe even the raccoons that prowl in the evenings. The point is, a very rigorous life, one of striving for survival and hard work finding food, has made her extremely fit for her environment.

That got me thinking about the idea of a life of striving. People who must work hard to survive and thrive are usually stronger for the effort. A life of relative ease does not cause one to live longer. Indeed, it tends to shorten life. The “greatest generation” of the depression and World War II, were called that for a reason. They had to overcome much suffering and deprivation, yet they helped build a strong nation.   

The gospel is replete with paradox. Statements like the weak are strong, the last shall be first, one must lose their life to find it, etc. are just a few examples.

When we strive, we survive. What a beautiful paradox.

Prayer: Lord, your ways are higher than our ways, and they are so amazing, Amen

As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
 for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.                                                                                                              Psalm 103:13-14

Mount Rushmore is the spectacular monument crafted by Gutzon Borglum in South Dakota. Carved into the rocks there are the images of four acclaimed American Presidents- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Often, in sports, talk show hosts will throw out a question to fans, like- “who is on your Mt. Rushmore of football running backs”? Or “who is on your Mt. Rushmore of starting pitchers in major league      baseball “? The question, of course asks, what are your top four sports heroes at a particular position or sport?

So, if there were a Mount Rushmore of Bible passages, Psalm 103 is right up there for me. I often assign this as a little homework for some clients to read throughout the week to remind them of God’s love and provision for them. The entire Psalm is uplifting and encouraging, especially when we are feeling downtrodden, or even forgotten by God.  

So, of you need a lift this week as we head into Easter, consider Psalm 103. It is on my Mt. Rushmore!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the encouragement we can find in this beautiful Psalm, Amen

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”                                          Matthew 21:1-3

Today is Palm Sunday, the traditional start of Holy Week. It marks one week before the highest holy day, Easter. On this day that we call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode triumphantly down the streets of Jerusalem to the adulation of a crowd who knew of his marvelous teachings and the miracles he had performed. They, of course welcomed him with great joy that day. By Friday, they would be demanding his death.

We know this story. I have always been fascinated by the possible back story of how Jesus had arranged for the donkey and the colt. Evidently, the owner of these animals was known to Jesus, and Jesus had known just when the time was to dispatch his disciples for the entry to Jerusalem.

Jesus had known all along how this story would end, and he had planned the smallest details of it. Love entails anticipating what others need and providing things for them that they cannot provide for themselves.

What an example Jesus gave, upon his anticipated death just days later, to plan the details of how he would redeem the people he loved.

Prayer: Lord, what an example of love you have given to us! Amen

To thine own self be true… Act I scene 3, Hamlet William Shakespeare

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

An issue that can capture us without us even being aware of it, is worry about things over which we have no control. We all fall into this trap at times, and it takes some “thought capturing” to address it.

I have clients who talk about how other people may judge them for presentations they have given, or statements they have made. They wonder if they “came across as genuine” or were they being seen as “trying to curry the favor of the boss”.

Now, I think it is natural to wonder about how other people see us. We are, after all, social beings, and we want to be thought of as good, or competent, or caring people- whatever traits in human beings that we ourselves value.  

When we think about this though, what is the only thing we can control? We can only control our own actions and behaviors. We cannot control how others perceive us, no matter how hard we try. Yes, people often spend a great deal of time and energy into self “marketing”. Image control is a huge industry. Companies and celebrities spend a lot of money trying to establish a “brand” and an image that is favorable to the public. In the end however, we can only be free by recognizing that we have been honest to ourselves, and we have been honest with others.

If people misinterpret, deliberately or otherwise about who we are, we cannot change that. It may indeed be hurtful when we are judged, but when we realize that we have been true to ourselves, and spoken the truth as best we can, we can be free of doing the impossible- believing that we are responsible for the outcome of other people’s perceptions of us.

Prayer: Lord, test my heart, and make me what you would have me to be, Amen

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.                                                                                                        Isaiah 55:8-9

I am not a Bible scholar, nor am I a theologian. I am an observer of people and an admirer of grace. I recognize that there is much that I do not know about theology, but I do have a belief about the nature and character of God. He loves people. He loves his creation. He is not bound by our definitions, nor our understanding. He is sovereign, and he can do as he pleases, and I often do not understand his ways. But I trust them.

I feel comfortable with the answer “I don’t know”. I am OK with that position. In fact, in some cases, I don’t even know what I don’t know. The good news is that I do not need to have an answer for everything. I think too often we believe that there must be an explanation of why things happen, or “why does God do what he does?”

That is where this idea of prevenient grace comes in. My understanding of prevenient grace is that even before I have an inkling of who God is, or his power to redeem his creation, God provides grace for us to even begin the quest of understanding.  His grace is sufficient for my lack of understanding.

 I’m good with that.

Prayer: Thank you for the grace that you give, even before we know what grace really is, Amen

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,  and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?  How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.  But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus               Matthew 12:9-14

I wrote the other day about the courage Jesus showed when he invited the hated Zacchaeus to his house for dinner. There were however numerous situations where Jesus stood up to scorn and even persecution for his earthly mission to make clear God’s purpose for living. In the passage above, Jesus had challenged the rigidity of the Law when he chose to heal rather than allow suffering just for the sake of the satisfaction of the letter of the Law.

Jesus subjected himself to scorn and even eventual death in order to fulfill the higher spirit of the Law- to save and to heal. We must interpret scripture in light of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the Law. Jesus had said that he came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it. This is a great example of the highest application of the ancient Law that God intends- the safety and healing of people.

Prayer: Lord, help us to follow the Spirit in understanding your Word, Amen

A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.  Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.  But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves

Luke 22:24-26

Disclaimer: The material in this blog is of a sensitive nature, and caution should be exercised in determining who reads this material.

The uproar over the Epstein files is still going strong- and it should. The perpetrators named in those files were in some way involved in a horrific violation of young girls. Decency demands that we pursue such abusers no matter where it may lead. If we are a nation of laws and morality, then justice must be pursued in the satisfaction of maintaining a functioning society.

The trafficking of young girls for sexual exploitation has been in the world perhaps since the beginning of time. The underlying motives- sexual gratification, dominance, power, extortion, amassing great sums of money etc. all fall somewhere into the famous “seven deadly sins” category.  

As we look at the rape of these young girls and young women, we know that rape is not just a sexual sin, but it is an exercise and a perversion of power. Men involved in this Epstein mess not only could gratify their sexual lust, but they exerted a sense of power and dominance over their victims. As I have said in past blogs, pride is the source of all sin. Every one of the so-called seven deadly sins are descendants of the root cause- pride. Pride says, in effect, “I am entitled to do what I want whenever I want to. I can have my way if I dominate you, so, I will do just that. The rules that apply to other people do not apply to me”.

Pride involves more than that little statement above, but it serves as a quick capsule of the sins that we see being exposed in the Epstein files. Indeed, the need to dominate another person, to force them to submit to my will for my gratification, is a grievous sin. History is replete with examples of this- slavery, colonization, exploitation of other people groups, etc.

Why does God hate sin? It hurts people. Whenever we deliberately exploit or hurt others, it is sin. Indeed, none of us is exempt from sinful behavior, and we all must be held accountable for things that we have done to hurt others. On a societal scale, these searches for justice for the victims of Jeffery Epstein must be pursued to ensure that we still want to strive for a society that can function remotely close to what God has intended for us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for having fallen so short of your plans for this world, Amen