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Better than a Turtle
When my daughter was eleven, she asked me for a kitten. We already had a cat, a mild-mannered shelter rescue named Zoey, an American Bombay with polydactyl paws. I didn’t feel the need for another cat, but my daughter persisted. My husband and I explained that if she truly wanted a kitten from the animal shelter, she would have to save her weekly allowance money in order to prove to me that this goal was genuine. The adoption fee was $160. We gave her $10 a week, and when she had made it halfway to her goal, her grandmother stepped in and asked if she could be allowed to meet…
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The Sword and the Stone
What comes to mind when you think of King Arthur? Most know the legend. A young Arthur pulls his sword, Excalibur, from a stone that was enchanted in such a way that only the rightful king could possess it. What comes to mind when you think of Jesus? Some view Jesus as a peaceful, mild-mannered, wish-granting type. I wonder if our modern-day Easter traditions reinforce this image. Easter baskets presented to children, layered with shredded green cellophane, and piled high with marshmallow chicks, jelly beans, and chocolate rabbits. Sugary symbols rooted in worship of an ancient pagan fertility goddess bear no resemblance to what a first-century Christian would know of…
