• Jerusalem Day 2008 | Posted by Mart De Haan on Jun 02 2008

    Today (June 2, 2008) is Jerusalem Day in Israel. With parades in the streets and prayers in synagogues, Jewish citizens will celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem in the Six Day War of 1967.
    Jerusalem remains, however, a contested city. Palestinians believe that East Jerusalem, including the holy site now occupied by the Al Aksa [...]

  • Polygamous, Monogamous, Global Envy | Posted by Mart De Haan on Apr 19 2008

    I started thinking about envy the other day when one of the wives of a polygamous community was asked whether she ever envies her husband’s other wives. Her response seemed honest. She admitted that it happens but is sure that those who don’t practice polygamy aren’t above such problems.
    She’s right isn’t she. None of us, [...]

  • The Roots of a Conflict | Posted by Mart De Haan on Apr 10 2008

    I thought twice before posting this picture of a scene I came across just inside Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate. With an armed Israeli Border Patrol in the background, it looked like a human body had been dumped into a garbage wagon. On closer look, I found that a street worker had just crawled into his cart [...]

  • Why I Don't Go To Church | Posted by Mart De Haan on Apr 03 2008

    What happens if we lower our expectations for the church?
    A few weeks ago I expressed a hunch that disillusionment is a problem for many of us who have been around the church for awhile. Since then a number of friends have taken the occasion to tell their own story. Some have struggled with disappointment and [...]

  • Enlightenment | Posted by Mart De Haan on Jan 01 2008

    What does it take to be wise?
    In a television commercial for online yellow pages, actor David Carradine plays a guru to a young seeker. When the student asks, “How do I find enlightenment?” the master says, “Yellowbook.com . . . Everyone is searching for something . . . . After all, it is a material [...]

  • The Urge to Jump | Posted by Mart De Haan on Nov 01 2007

    In April 2006, a man attempted to jump from the top of the Empire State Building.
    At the last minute, security guards physically restrained him and New York City police charged him with first-degree reckless endangerment. A judge later dismissed the charges, noting that the man had taken steps to ensure the safety of others.
    The man’s [...]