These are my two historical novels about a character named Joseph Shepherd. The first one is about a mysterious man who appears suddenly onto the earthly scene in the early 17th century. He travels the world with a partner, Luke Greene, and together they meet some of the giants of the century- Galileo, King James, William Harvey, Francis Bacon, Oliver Cromwell, and William Bradford, captain of the Mayflower, among many others.

Shepherd is an archetype of Jesus, placed into the earth once again. I won’t spoil the endings, because they hold the answer to his appearances. My thesis was that if Jesus came again to the earth, he would once again speak truth to power and he would run afoul of the powers of the day. In fact, he would once again be persecuted and possibly killed. Jesus is always a “lightning rod” for controversy since he pursues justice fearlessly. People in power in any empire will always work to retain power, and justice and mercy may be sacrificed as a result.

In the sequel, Joseph Shepherd once again appears, this time in the United States during the Civil War. He becomes a Union soldier (field surgeon), an advisor to several Presidents, and he is involved (and unable to stop) the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley.

Once again, his upright and challenging stances conflict with the current powers, and he ends up being arrested and persecuted. Along the way his adventures bring him in contact with Thomas Edison, a young Henry Ford, Billy the Kid, John D. Rockefeller, Mark Twain, and a host of American luminaries.

My point through these books is that Jesus, no matter when or where he shows up, pursues peace, justice, mercy and healing – and he is often misunderstood and persecuted.

So, if Jesus were to show up again in a human body, how would he be treated today?

Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

Psalm 71:18

There is a basketball term, used mostly in the past, called “dribbling out the clock”. That was when the team with the lead and possession of the ball would not attempt to score anymore- they would just kill the clock by dribbling the ball until time ran out.

I have used that analogy with people who are in retirement age who are trying to determine what the rest of their life looks like. Will they use retirement to start a second career? Volunteer their time to worthy charitable endeavors? Travel and spend time with grandchildren?

For me, the option of dribbling out the clock is a non-starter. Studies have shown that seniors who have continued to work, or to volunteer their time to the good of the community live longer and healthier lives.

We are not meant to shut things down at a certain age. Certainly, there are those who are physically unable to work or do many activities outside the home. Even people who are limited physically can still be vital in causes and activities that expand their mind, including life-long education programs.

So, dear readers, the question is do we live until we die or do we exist until we die?

I choose to live my life as vigorously as I am able- no dribbling out the clock for me.  

Prayer: Lord, I am grateful for the health and the desire to continue to contribute to the gift of life you gave, Amen

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.  I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 8:5-12

Time after time in the Bible, we see Jesus doing things that confounded his followers. Even his coming to Earth confounded people. Seeing the world from upside down is sometimes the best way to look at it. What do I mean by that?

We look at things through the eyes of logic and reason (mostly) and we have certain expectations of the world. The Jewish followers of Jesus expected that he came to save the Jews from an evil world (the Roman overlords), and to cast out those who were not rigid followers of the Jewish Laws set forth generations prior. All those who were not followers of Yahweh were to be avoided. Those religions were inferior and threatening to the religion of the True God.

Jesus confounded that thinking by giving examples of non-Jews who put rigid religious behaviors to shame. The Good Samaritan is a prime example. The Woman at the Well is another. The story from the passage cited above talks about the faith of a Centurion is another one of many.

Many religious people do much the same as the Jews did and try to make a relationship with God formulaic. Maybe having a formula helps us to feel better somehow, but rigid adherence to formulas isn’t the way that we can reach to God. He has already reached to us (another paradox) with Jesus, whose life was an example of loving those around him.

My point is that just when we think we have figured out a religious method and approach to God, he confounds us again. He says in so many words (if I may be so presumptuous as to put my words in God’s mouth!)

 “You all are overthinking this, folks. Love me by loving one another. Because I have forgiven you, and paid a high price to do so, forgive one another. Quit trying to reduce me to formulas- just go about loving one another and it will please me.”

Prayer: Lord, I trust in the simple approach to you and not tying you to formulas. Thank you for your love for us, Amen

“And so I am giving a new commandment to you now—love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (Living)

First century Christians were known to rescue abandoned children who had been left exposed to the elements by parents who decided not to care for them. Often, those abandoned children had been born deformed in some way, and the parents were actually following Roman law about discarding children who would be unable to thrive or become productive Roman citizens.

That Roman practice, a form of eugenics (before that word was ever conceived), shows the thinking of hearts not yet transformed by God’s love. The concept of eugenics reached a peak in the 1930’s in Germany and the United States. Following the increased acceptance of Darwin’s theory of evolution, it took the concept of natural selection to an absurd end. It proposed that society could become better and better as those “weak links” (those with deformities, or those deemed to be “feebleminded”) were eliminated from the population.  

I would like to say that the concept of eugenics was never really embraced in the United States, and that it was roundly criticized and vanished quickly. However, I can’t say that. The idea of “cleansing” unwanted people from our midst never totally lost its luster.

As Christians, we are called upon, just like those first century Christians, to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs it. We are called to love and protect the most vulnerable people in our midst.

We can do that in different ways, of course, and we start with finding the people closest to us who need help and protection. They are all around us, we just need to be aware.  

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to love people right where we find them, Amen

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.                              Hebrews 11:1

Recently I have been thinking about our notions of certainty and how that affects our world view. What are the things of which we are certain?  For example, I am a person of faith, and as such, I have my own notions of security, my own certainty, based upon a relationship with God who loves me. I also think that the world God created is amazing, and to think it randomly evolved to this level of exquisite complexity would, in my mind, be ludicrous.

At the same time, I do not think that the world was created in 7 days about 7,000 years ago, although there are some Christians who do. I do not know the processes that God used to bring   this world, this universe, into existence- that is a mystery to me. I am perfectly comfortable stating that position. I can live in some ambiguity quite nicely, without a need to have precise explanation of how the world came into being. There is a level of uncertainty in that.

For centuries the organized Church had “certainty” about how the universe works. The sun and other planets revolved around the earth. It must be that way. It was certainty. Anyone who taught otherwise faced the considerable wrath of the Church. Gradually, science facts became irresistible, and the Church finally acknowledged the scientific certainty of a heliocentric universe.

Unfortunately, the Church’s need for certainty about the universe led to a wholesale departure from the Church as a source of truth, as science became the accepted standard for determining truth.

The Age of Enlightenment came to be and gradually, the spiritual truths of which the Church was guardian, became hopelessly entangled in science, politics and governance. The role of faith was now labeled as an anachronism, an old remnant of a long-abandoned way of seeing the world.

Fast forward to the 20^th century where the theoretical physicists of the age were the new guides to the universe. Werner Heisenberg was one of those brilliant physicists in the early 20^th century. In his study of quantum physics, he came up with his “uncertainty principle” which states that one cannot measure with certainty both the location and the momentum of a particle. Further, the act of measuring actually changes the result. This causes us to make “good educated guesses” about the movement of particles which make up all matter.

For some, this accelerated the movement away from all certainty, and it spilled over into all areas of life. It was as if some portions of society were saying, “We can be certain of nothing, so let’s simply take down all the old barriers and beliefs”.

In terms of faith, I think the idea of mystery is not only acceptable, but important. How can we force an almighty God into the limited box of our understanding? If we know that God loves us, and sent His son to die for us, isn’t that enough to understand?  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the certainty of your love for us, Amen

I remember my first “turn of the decade” New Year. It was the end of the 1950’s and the start of the 60’s. I was 9 years old, and so very excited for the highly anticipated 1960’s. It promised to be a decade of technological advances, labor saving devices, space exploration, and the emergence of that new “baby boomer” generation coming into its own as they entered high school. We did indeed also see many cultural changes, including civil rights protests, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Beatles, the Vietnam War and so much more. 

Now we approach a new year, 2026. It is not the start of a new decade, but every new year brings with it the hope that it will be a fresh start. It is a good time to both look forward and back. I am grateful for so much in this past year. I trust that the new year will bring my readers health and peace, and a renewed commitment to making the world around them just a little better.

I reflect also on my gratitude for my readers, both here in the United States and around the world. I want to recognize those readers from around the world, including Ireland, Sweden, China, Indonesia, Japan, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Canada, Peru, Mexico, Australia, Nigeria, and occasional visits from other unknown friends around the world.

So, my blessings to all this New Year. May it be your best ever!

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye                                                                Matthew 7:1-5

Projection: the attribution of one’s own ideas, feelings, or attitudes to other people or to objects Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Jesus was able to clearly outline the mechanism of projection long before more modern psychology had a name for it. The process of ascribing an attribute in ourselves onto someone else, then judging it, has been a part of the human condition since- well, forever.

Jesus correctly called upon people to clear their own eyes before they can accurately assess the problems with someone else. If we have a speck in our own eye, it actually, due to its close presence, looks, and sometimes feels, like a “plank”. It inhibits us from seeing things very well. We are not in a position to be able to see something amiss in another person’s eye, or heart as it may be, to offer a remedy. We need to get our own sight better first. Jesus went on to suggest that once we deal with our own problems, we may well be able to help a brother or sister with the same affliction.

My typical discussion with clients is the need to find personal healing by sharing their story for the benefit of someone else going through the same or similar problem. In this way, we get out of the pity, as well as the projection problems that can beset us, as we work to help another person.

But first, we need to see clearly in order to do that. We own our problems, work to deal with them, then we share our story for the benefit of others.

First step- we get the plank out of our own eye.

Prayer: Thank you Father for the wisdom of Jesus on human nature. He knows us better than we know ourselves, Amen.

 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

Christmas 2025 is over, and we are in the “Twixmas” week. This is a kind of laid-back time for business, a time for kids to wear out their new toys, a time for some families to extend visits, a time to watch some meaningless (but nonetheless fun) college football bowl games, and a time to plan for the New Year.

Pretty soon, we will be back to “normal”, and winter 2026 will descend upon the Northern Hemisphere. People will be making New Year’s resolutions with the best of intentions, and they will feel better for the moment in having made some kind of commitment to positive change. Some actually will keep those resolutions, others, in the words of Ben Franklin, will fall into the old wisdom. “When all is said and done, more is said than done”.

The year 2025 may or may not have worked out as we had hoped. Some people are happy and fulfilled, others are in some level of pain and despair. But here is the truth of the matter. God is good, and he has been good, and he will continue to be good. He will never leave us or forsake us, no matter what kind of problems or issues we may blunder into. Our eyes are on God, not merely our current circumstances.

 That is the good news, my friends!

Prayer: Lord, we give thanks for your blessings in the past year, and pray for guidance in the coming one, Amen.

Jesus Was a Refugee

 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up and flee to Egypt with the baby and his mother,” the angel said, “and stay there until I tell you to return, for King Herod is going to try to kill the child.”  That same night he left for Egypt with Mary and the baby and stayed there until King Herod’s death. This fulfilled the prophet’s prediction…                                                                                                                                      Matthew 2: 13-15

We all know the story about how Herod, upon hearing of the birth of a new king, Jesus, became paranoid and enraged. Having been apprised of the birth of Jesus by the wise men from the East, Herod declared a death penalty upon all boys under the age of two years old.

Joseph, alerted to the dangers to his family, quickly undertook the life of a refugee for his family. He took them on an arduous journey to Egypt. The earliest experience of Jesus was that of a refugee. We know that this was not a coincidence, but a fulfillment of prophecy. Moreover, it was a lesson that Jesus, from early on, could relate to the suffering of the people he came to save.

Egypt was a symbol of a place of refuge. Yes, it had previously been the place of bondage for the Hebrew people. However, both in Genesis chapters 12 and 46, Egypt became a place of refuge. Once again, in Matthew chapter 2, it became the place of refuge for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

How do we look at refugees today?  There are many serious refugee crises around the world today- Haiti, Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Venezuela, to name just a few. If Jesus were a refugee today, would he find safety in the United States? No, this is not a political polemic. It is a question of morality.

How do we respond to a human crisis? I trust that we adhere to our Christian ethics, not political expedients.

Prayer: Lord, give us wisdom as to how to respond to human need, Amen

 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”                 Mark 9:24

If you have seen the old movie, Miracle on 34^th Street, you will know exactly where my analogy comes from today. Late in the movie, little Susan Walker (played by a very young Natalie Wood), is struggling with believing in Santa Claus. The charming character, Kris Kringle, had been trying to get Susan to have belief beyond only the things that she could verify by her intellect. Her mother had drilled this idea into her for her entire young life- trust in only what you can see and verify.

As the movie progresses, Susan begins to wonder if there are things that might be true that she cannot verify with her intellect. Maybe she could believe in Santa Claus! Late in the movie, Susan’s nascent belief that maybe there could be a Santa Claus starts to wane again. She gets disappointed when she seems to not get the gift Santa had promised her.

In the car with her mom, she dejectedly, and half-heartedly says again and again “I believe, I believe” trying to convince herself to believe against all odds in Santa. Soon the car pulls up on the house that she had asked Santa to give her and her mom. It was true! Santa had delivered on his gift!

I am not asking my dear readers to believe in Santa Claus, but I think the principle holds with our belief in God. Sometimes, we are so disappointed and hurt by what we see around us, that we  can lose hold on our belief. Is God real? Can he allow the pain and suffering we see around us? Can that God be trusted?

It is at those times that I sometimes feel like little Susan. I keep reminding myself, “I believe, I believe…” My faith is not simply a feeling that sustains me. It is a trust that God loves me and others in this world despite how discouraging it gets at times. I simply then rely on that old commitment that I made many years ago-

“I believe, I believe…”

Prayer: Lord, I believe, help my unbelief, Amen