“The most powerful weapon for silencing the mouth of the world is not brilliant theological apologetics, but the practice of a holy life that resembles Jesus Christ.” “Now it happened, as Jesus went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, ‘Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?’ And they could not answer Him regarding these things” (Luke 14:1–6). (1) As I meditated on today’s passage, Luke 14:1–6, the phrase that first caught my attention was: “they were watching Him clos...
The name of Jesus Christ [Acts 4:1-12] During the pilgrimage to the Islamic holy site, known as the "Devil's Stoning," a tragic incident occurred in which over 340 people lost their lives, and more than a thousand were injured. What is the "Devil's Stoning"? This annual religious event, called Hajj, brings Muslims from all over the world to the holiest Islamic site in Saudi Arabia, Mecca. It involves a declaration of faith affirming the oneness of Allah, as well as five daily prayers, religious dues, fasting during Ramadan (Islamic calendar's ninth month), and other practices that Muslims are obliged to follow as long as their health and financial means allow. The Hajj pilgrims, who have gathered in Mina, a plain near Mecca, for the past few days, engage in prayers and contemplation to prepare for the actual pilgrimage. On the way back to Mecca on the 10th day, pilgrims perform a ritual where they throw seven pe...