-
A Season of Giving Grace to Others
An acquaintance of ours started a non-profit movement offering free yard signs reminding us to love one another. He posted it on our county’s social media page…and the war began. Within a short time, I counted 102 comments. Ninety-eight of the remarks were fighting with him or with each other. Ironic? Yes. Surprising? Big sigh. No. As I read these ugly comments on social media, I was insulted on behalf of this good man. Why the anger? Why aren’t we extending grace to others? At the same time, his responses – both measured and kind – filled me with hope instead of feeling overwhelmed by the inhumanity of the masses. I…
-
Being Faithful in a Relationship: What Ari Mahler the Jewish Pittsburgh Nurse Teaches Us
On October 27, 2018, Robert Bowers was charged with the Tree of Life massacre. He had walked into The Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh with an AR-15 and three handguns yelling “All Jews must die! Death to the Jews!” And tragically, eleven did. Robert Bowers was critically injured and transported to Pittsburgh’s Allegheny General Hospital for treatment. He continued his verbal rampage at the hospital’s ER department. I can’t even imagine that scene. Here’s how the President of the hospital, Dr. Jeff Cohen of Allegheny General, described it. He’s Jewish by the way. This heart-rending story received worldwide coverage, but what happened next…