News

Grandmother Willa was a positive influence in my life. She was principled, yet understanding; helpful, but not overly demonstrative; instructional, but not confrontational. The stains on the kitchen ceiling of her small two-bedroom Cape Cod testified to her love of canning and food preparation for family dinners, and that she endeavored to provide for herself and others well into her senior years. She had many talents and many passions.

In the well-known story of Jonah, God instructed the reluctant prophet to deliver a warning to the city of Nineveh, an Assyrian stronghold. Assyria was traditionally a bitter enemy of Israel. Jonah unwisely attempted to shirk his duty and run away from his responsibility. To get away, he booked passage on a ship in Joppa (modern-day Jaffa) going to Tarshish, which was probably located in modern-day Spain.

On November 19, 1863—exactly 150 years ago to this day—U.S. President Abraham Lincoln gave his historic “Gettysburg Address,” known for its famous lines: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Despite his lofty words, Lincoln understood that this proposition—like the nation as a whole—was being tested. What about today?