Month: May 2011

  • What’s your name?

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    “I have called you by name—you are mine.” says the God of Israel in today’s reading Isaiah 43:1-21. The same who said: “Do not use my name for evil purposes” (Exodus 20:7). And the same who revealed God’s name to Moses: “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). Allowing someone to use your name really…

  • God’s people

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    What makes your people special? In yesterday’s reading Israel was called God’s servant. Verses 1-7 of today’s reading Isaiah 42:1-25 comprise the first of four “servant songs” in the book of Isaiah. It culminates in the prophecy: “Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples; through you I will bring light to the…

  • Comfort my People

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    The book of the second Isaiah starts beginning with chapter 40. Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55) was written during the Babylonian Exile and is a book of hope quite different from Proto-Isaiah (Isaiah 1-39) announcing doom’s day. Today’s reading Isaiah 40:1-31 starts with a shout-out to the homeland: “Comfort my people,” says our God. “Comfort them! Encourage…

  • Resurrection

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    What is so cool about Christianity? Hope for resurrection? Not really, that has been part of Judaism for a long time as today’s reading Isaiah 26:1-21 shows: “Those of our people who have died will live again! Their bodies will come back to life. All those sleeping in their graves will wake up and sing…

  • Jesus supports Stephen Hawking

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    “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Stephen Hawking cosmologist shares his thoughts on death, M-theory, human purpose and…