The Poseidon Adventure - October issue of Conversations with the Culture

Joe the Plumber and the Character of the American People

Of Bail Outs, Student Loans, and the Paradox of Thrift

Chapter 18 Cont.: Vision of Fire
Daniel loosened his traveling cloak as the midmorning sun warmed his body.  Looking back over his shoulder, he saw a mist still clinging to the mountains from which they had just descended.  In a few hours he and his escort would reach the trade route that, in a day’s ride, would bring them to Babylon.  Two of the ten soldiers escorting him had ridden on ahead to intercept a large caravan they had seen headed their way to learn who they were.  This close to Babylon, it was unlikely they would pose a threat, but his protectors wished to take no chances.   Daniel rode in silence, paying little attention to those around him, even Ezekiel, who had joined him at t

Chapter 18: Surviving the Blazing Furnace
The fire of the furnace leapt nearly fifteen feet into the air.  To the right of the furnace stood the idol of the god Marduk.  In the courtyard before the Isthar Gate, the people danced and sang as the musicians played their instruments.  Looking down on the crowd from atop a raised platform built for the occasion, Nebuchadnezzar sat with his new bride on their couches.  To the king’s right, Hamon had taken his place.  It was his show to preside over, and while he did not have Daniel in his clutches, the Chief Priest took satisfaction in knowing Daniel’s top three advisors would soon depart this world.           At the king’s command, the furnace

Preparing to Cross the Jordan – Some Thoughts on the Life of a Church
 In the Sunday School class I’m teaching at church, we are studying the Book of Joshua.  The title for this study is “Joshua: Leading Into the Promised Land”.  In the past two weeks, we’ve read chapters 3 and 4 about how the Israelites crossed the River Jordan.  As we read these passages, the thing that struck me was the way Joshua approached this event – with reverence and intentionality.  To really grasp the significance of what is happening, I think it’s helpful to understand that when you read the first four chapters of Joshua, you are witnessing an event from several different viewpoints.  In Chapter 1, verse 11, God tells Joshua

Chapter 17 Cont. The Parade of Idols
          “It will not be long now,” Meshach said to his two friends.  “Look, here comes the barge carrying the statue of the god Anu, father of the Babylonian gods.”  Along with Shadrach and Abednego, Meshach watched as the great idol was brought to shore and off-loaded where Nebuchadnezzar sat at his gold table awaiting its arrival.  The idol had been transported downstream from its shrine.  This was the signal for every temple in Babylon to open.  Out of each shrine all the gods of the city, both great and small, were brought out to join Nebuchadnezzar and Anu as they traveled down the Processional Way to Esgalia.  The mass of priests, idols, official

Conversations with the Culture: Schindler’s List
Oskar, there’s a clerical error here at the bottom of the last page No, It’s correct. It’s just that I’ve started counting people instead of money.     Digging Deeper Schindler’s List is a movie based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a vain, greedy German businessman who tried to make his fortune during the Second World War by exploiting c