“Oh woman, tell us why you weep,
and why this tearful vigil keep.”
“They came and took my Lord away!
I don’t know where they’ve put Him.”
“Dear woman, tell Me why you weep.
Who is the Man for whom you seek?”
“If you have carried Him away,
I want to come and get Him!”
“Mary, it is I.”
“Rabboni!”
-Wills Osborn (6/17/2017)
Based on John 20:11-16
In our world today, there is a pervasive idea that in order to go to heaven, a person must be good. Of course, no one knows how good they must be in order to get in, but that doesn’t seem to bother many of us. We can always point out at least one person who is worse than us.
Unfortunately, the Bible teaches that no one is good enough to get into heaven on their own merit. In fact, Jesus taught the exact opposite. Jesus regularly made comments to the effect of, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).
In Luke 7:36-50, there is a delightful story about a Pharisee, a Rabbi, and a prostitute. Jesus (called “Rabbi” by many) was invited over for lunch by a Pharisee. While they were enjoying a pleasant meal, a sinful woman entered the house, knelt at Jesus’ feet weeping, washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, broke open a bottle of fragrant perfume, and poured it on his feet.
Indignant, the Pharisee thought to himself, Continue reading
“The bells. I love the bells.” -Mother (Beethoven Lives Upstairs)
On Saturday, my brother-in-law and I went to Mission San Juan Capistrano to learn about some of California’s history. Armed with a camera, a desire to learn, and stomachs full of Mexican food, we knew we were in for a good time.
At the entrance we paid our fee ($9 for me; he got a military discount of some undisclosed amount) and were given headsets and a stack of paper, including a map and other information about the mission. In an attempt at efficiency, my bro-in-law and I decided to follow the audio tour outlined on our map. After listening to the first recording, we abandoned the endeavor and decided to wander around aimlessly (a much more enjoyable option).
Main Courtyard
From the main courtyard, I snapped a few photos and we made our way to the old chapel. Continue reading
