The Crucifixion and the Resurrection: One Requires the Other

Last updated on: April 19, 2025 at 8:24 pm By Lois Kerschen

The Crucifixion and the Resurrection are often thought about separately as very different subjects, except during Holy Week when we are reminded that Christ’s promise to rise on the third day was fulfilled. Wait, though: aren’t Good Friday and Easter Sunday just two days apart? Yes, but they and Holy Saturday are Days One, Two, and Three of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. That’s an important point because the connection of the three days indicates that the Crucifixion and the... Read more

God’s Existence Is the Source of Our Well-Being

Last updated on: March 26, 2025 at 3:34 pm By Lois Kerschen

“Without God, the world would be too painful.” [From How to Raise an Elephant, one of the books by Alexander McCall Smith in the delightful series that begins with The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.] The reaction to this quote from a religious person would likely be a knowing nod of the head in agreement. Without our loving God to guide and protect us, how terrible life would be! What purpose would we have? What reason for hope? In 1882,... Read more

The Consistent Life Ethic Means Loving Your Neighbor

Last updated on: February 28, 2025 at 8:23 am By Lois Kerschen

Among last year’s political discussions, there were notable references to the Consistent Life Ethic (CLE). As people worked their way to a voting decision, they searched for a rubric that would effectively sort through issues and provide a unifying thread of morality by which to judge them. The result is that more and more people are discovering the Consistent Life Ethic as a standard that fits every life issue. I have written about the CLE twice before in this blog... Read more

After a Death: Support from God and Other Friends

Last updated on: February 22, 2025 at 4:33 pm By Lois Kerschen

This blog has been on hiatus for several months because of the demands on my time and the adjustments required following the death of my husband last September. There are so many changes and so much additional work that come with a family death that I needed time to maneuver my way through it all. Now, however, I would like to share some insights from this experience. Friends and Family: Pillars of Support I’ve been stunned by the tremendous support... Read more

Waitin’ on a Man: Sitting by the Sickbed

Last updated on: August 21, 2024 at 2:56 pm By Lois Kerschen

In 2005, Brad Paisley released a song and video about “Waitin’ on a Woman”* with Andy Griffith. It’s a touching song about the frustrations of having to wait, over and over, on a wife who is always late but continuing to do it out of love. I am a veteran at “Waitin’ on a Man” but in a different context. The song describes the chance encounter of a young husband, getting upset at his wife’s failure to meet up with... Read more

Undemocratic Democrats: Ostracism of Pro-Life Members

Last updated on: July 4, 2024 at 12:03 pm By Lois Kerschen

The Democratic Party has long touted itself as the party of the people, open to everyone. It is the party of Civil Rights, insisting on inclusion of all races and creeds. Nonetheless, the Democratic Party ostracizes its pro-life members. Since 1992, when the Democratic Convention denied a speaking slot to Gov. Robert Casey, Sr. of Pennsylvania because he was pro-life, the party has become more and more intolerant of its pro-life members. It has refused to support pro-life candidates and... Read more

The Use of Money

Last updated on: July 2, 2024 at 11:36 am By Lois Kerschen

Can there be such a thing as too much money? Most people would say “No!” However, in truth, people can have more money than they need, more money than they should keep for themselves. Oh, I can hear the screams now: “I earned that money! It’s mine! What are you? Some kind of wacko socialist?” Others like Joel Osteen say, “The Lord has blessed me with bounty. God wants me to be rich.” What about the other people who are... Read more

No Human Sacrifice: End Abortion

Last updated on: May 28, 2024 at 12:30 pm By Lois Kerschen

We are all familiar with the Bible story about how Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to God – an actual human sacrifice that required Abraham to kill his own son and offer him up to God. Human sacrifice was a fairly common practice among Abraham’s pagan neighbors, and it continued for many centuries in different parts of the world. The Canaanites offered their firstborn to Moloch in a ritual fire. Consider also the Aztecs, the Vikings, and... Read more

Doubting Thomas and Absent Thomas

Last updated on: April 16, 2024 at 4:48 pm By Lois Kerschen

Every year, the gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter is that of John 20: 19-31, which includes the story of doubting Thomas. Every year, I think: “Thomas is getting a bum rap!” After all, would any other apostle in the same situation have had more faith? If any other apostle had been absent when Christ appeared to those assembled, might that person have expressed the same doubts? You have to admit that the story of Christ’s appearance was pretty... Read more

Witness to History: the Donkey

Last updated on: April 6, 2024 at 4:40 pm By Lois Kerschen

Did you know that the Bible refers to a donkey 74 times? Compare that to 14 for a dog, 36 for a horse, 55 for an ox, and 82 for a lion. Sheep get 195 mentions but considering that many of the important figures in the Bible were either literally or figuratively shepherds, that’s understandable. So, the donkey has a prominent position among animals in the Bible. It rates far higher than its fellow working animal, the ox, and comes... Read more