By Joyce Long Reddish-orange glints streak the evening sky, casting dancing shadows on the most holy worship site for the Jews—the Western Wall. Girls dressed in white, pink-ribboned chiffon dresses hold their parents’ hands as they descend the stairs. Sons in white shirts and black kippahs (yarmulkes) run ahead, shoving into checkpoint turnstiles. Orthodox […]
By Joyce Long The tension pressed around them like thick, suffocating humidity. Jesus and his disciples endured stares, whispers, and downward glances while hurrying toward Bethany. Only two days until Passover, Jesus needed time to relax with his disciples at the home of Simon the Leper. There he would spend time with friends, trying […]
By Joyce Long The shortcut confused her. Then the directions changed. The programmed GPS voice announced, “Recalculating.” Again the trip rerouted. Sound familiar? Plans change. Often our journeys take a detour before we reach our final destination. There are no shortcuts to following Jesus. The road to the cross confronts us with his ultimate […]
