Latest Posts
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A Big Ol’ Fixer Upper
Read more: A Big Ol’ Fixer UpperConfession: I really like HGTV (the Home and Garden cable TV network, for the uninitiated). I adore the Gaineses on Fixer Upper. The Property Brothers and House Hunters are quite wonderful as well. I’ve spent a good amount of my winter break time drinking in these home renovation fantasies, and I’m starting to notice a…
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On Movies of 2014 — and Humanity
Read more: On Movies of 2014 — and HumanityMuch could be said about the movies of 2014: from talking about the Biblical adaptions (or from the book of Enoch) of Russell Crowe’s Noah in Noah and Christian Bale’s Moses in Exodus: Gods and Kings, to musing about Scarlett Johansson’s becoming super-human in Under the Skin and Lucy, to making some kind of pseudo-intellectual…
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My F(f)ather’s Love
Read more: My F(f)ather’s Love“Your F(f)ather loves you very much.” These words have been ringing in my heart for the past week. The last few days I attended a Chinese Missions Convention in San Diego, where there were over 3,000 people ready to hear about the different ways God is working throughout the world. Although I’m Filipino (and actually…
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Christmas Presence
Read more: Christmas PresenceWe just finished watching Home Alone, a Christmas tradition. If you haven’t seen it in a while, please allow me to refresh your memory. Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, is a pint-sized troublemaker, the youngest of five children in a house teeming with relatives all preparing to leave the country in the morning and…
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Anxiously Advent-ly Waiting
Read more: Anxiously Advent-ly WaitingI appreciate the season of Advent – not just for the joy of Christmas parties, decorations, carols, eggnog, gift-giving and receiving, and celebrating the holiday with family and friends, but also for the longing and anticipation that comes with the Advent season. I’m grateful being reminded that the joy of Christmas and the reality of…
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Torture and the Culture of Pragmatism
Read more: Torture and the Culture of PragmatismA couple of weeks ago a US senate committee released a report confirming what has already been old news for a while: the CIA tortured terrorist suspects in its (on-going) attempt to win the “war on terror” and protect American lives from terrorist attacks. On this side of the pond, at least, the news of…
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Esther and Her Elusive God (Reviewed)
Read more: Esther and Her Elusive God (Reviewed)Two weeks ago the newest issue of Themelios (39.3 [2014]: 517–519) contained a review of my Esther book by Dr. Ched Spellman. This is the fourth review that I’ve come across (see the other reviews by Brian C. LePort, Joel Watts, and Brant Clements) and the first one in a journal. I’m grateful for the…
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Don’t Kill the Baby Jesus
Read more: Don’t Kill the Baby JesusMy uncle is a pastor. A few years ago, on Christmas day after sharing an enormous meal and opening all our presents, I asked him what he had thought of our Christmas service. His reply stuck with me. “It was good, other than the fact that they crucified the baby Jesus. You don’t kill the baby Jesus.”…
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There Are Some Things I Just Can’t Tell You About
Read more: There Are Some Things I Just Can’t Tell You AboutThis piece can now be found on The Los Angeles Review of Books. Click here to go to a new, updated version of the article. Thanks for your support of The Two Cities.
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I’m Sorry, I Can’t Pray for You
Read more: I’m Sorry, I Can’t Pray for YouDear whoever you are church member, This past week you probably felt somewhat confused and hurt when I told you in no uncertain terms that I would not be able to commit to praying for you after you shared your struggles with me. Now, I did pray with you after we talked about your situation…