National Day: Join the Cry

A women’s prayer group in my country holds regular monthly prayer sessions for Ghana and other African countries. When asked why they pray so incessantly for the nations, their leader Gifty Dadzie remarked, “Look around, listen to and watch the news. Our nations are hurting: war, disaster, diseases, and violence threaten to overshadow God’s love for humanity and…

National Day: Happiness and Holiness

At Harvard University, you can take a course in happiness. This popular class helps students discover, as the professor states, “How to get happy.”

That’s not a bad idea. In fact, the Bible even suggests on several occasions the importance of being happy or joyful. Solomon tells us that God grants happiness to us as a privilege (Eccl.…

National Day: No More Prejudice

A 2010 survey by Newsweek contained some startling statistics: 57 percent of hiring managers believe an unattractive (but qualified) job candidate would have a harder time getting hired; 84 percent of managers said their bosses would hesitate before hiring a qualified older candidate; 64 percent of hiring managers said they believe companies should be allowed to hire people…

National Day: Let Right Be Done

An engaging family film, The Winslow Boy, tells the story of a 13-year-old who is accused of stealing and is expelled from a British military school. The father believes his son is innocent and marshals all his resources to defend him. As the case attracts public attention, many people rally behind the boy with the slogan “Let right…

National Day: Fireworks And Freedom

Thanks to the ingenuity of our Chinese friends, we can celebrate our independence next month with massive displays of colorful fireworks.

Every year when we sing our national anthem and enjoy the vibrant patterns created by “bombs bursting in air,” I remind myself that most bombs are deadly, not beautiful like the fireworks display. Although both use similar ingredients,…

National Day: Overcoming Bias

A Washington Post article reported that recent studies into the nature of prejudice found that almost everyone harbors biases, and these attitudes affect even those who actively resist them. A University of Kentucky psychologist says that much of our self-esteem comes from feeling better about ourselves than
about others because of the group we belong to. Prejudice is…

National Day: Change of Address

If you keep in touch with family and friends through the postal service or email, you probably have received or sent
a change of address notice. It goes something like this: “I will no longer be receiving mail at _____________. My new address will be _____________. Thank you for making a note of this change.”

Paul reminded the believers…