“If you rake, you get leaves. If you dig, you get diamonds.” – John Piper I attended a board meeting at the Simmons YMCA this morning. The meeting began with an earnest exhortation to thoroughly embrace the mission of the YMCA. So I decided to dig deep into the history of the YMCA to discover […]

Mercy liberated me to remember. There was a vast hoard of history in the catacombs of my soul; a myriad of memories which I had pronounced dead and consigned to the realm of “forgetting.” But the business of burying shame proved tricky, because while you might achieve momentary amnesia, the memories are nevertheless still buried […]

It was a surreal moment. A blend of incredulity, shame, and awe swept over me. The incriminating items were certainly mine. Any attempt to hide my ownership would’ve been like an identical twin trying to deny his relation to his brother. But the fact that it was Tamar holding the signet, cord, and staff was […]

I think the word “desensitized” would sum up my life in those days. It was like I had anesthetized my soul. I knew that life among the Canaanites would be hazy, and after “The Joseph Transaction” I was desperate for a foggy environment where hiding happens naturally. I didn’t want to face the truth, I […]

I had experienced episodes of shame before, but they never lingered long – never had my bouts been severe or sustained. It’s like when you’re sitting around a fire and an ember lands on your leg, there’s a singe but it dies, it dissipates; but this ember embedded and burned. I don’t think anyone was […]

I suppose you could say I “went through the motions” as a shepherd. I did my duty, I showed up and performed my part, I did my time. That particular day we were near Shechem, and it will come as no surprise to anyone that my ambition was far more aligned with the commerce of […]