The Green Letter

There is the story of three major league baseball umpires in a bar before the game. “I call ’em like I see ’em,” the first ump says. “I call ’em as they are!” the second umpire states. “They ain’t nothing until I call ’em, then that’s what they are!” growled the third official. It’s the […]

There are approximately 733,746 words in the Bible. It was written over a span of 1,600 years. Some 40 different authors penned its pages–from Moses writing in North Africa about 1500 B.C. to the Apostle John writing off the coast of Turkey around 100 A.D. Its authors came from every walk of life: kings (Song […]

American author John Steinbeck wrote, “One does not take a trip. The trip takes you.” Indeed! For over fourteen months Christ has taken me along on a campus journey. 33,000 car miles. Five states. Six foreign nations. Churches. Chapels. Retreats. Conferences. Writing. One-on-one. My memory is a rich tapestry of Jesus, His people, the campus, […]

Valentine’s Day was approaching. Campus was in the grip of winter; its tree branches hung bare; the sky, as gray as gunmetal. University can be a lonely place, bereft of family, old friends, sweethearts. I was asked to come to chapel and speak on loneliness. Before I arrived, some students got the idea to reach […]

Invitations usually come by phone. Follow-up, details, are by email. “Can you come? We’re sponsoring a debate on campus. The topic is homosexuality. Your opponent is gay, a churchgoer. The crowd will be about 500 or 600. Mostly non-Christians. The press will be there. And, oh, yes, you don’t mind being heckled, do you?” Without […]

These are the beautiful people. No chubby, pimply-faced “C” students here. Duke University’s finest. The fraternity-sorority crowd. Perfect hair and teeth, exquisite figure, fashionable, gregarious, popular. For the past eight months I’d spoken on campus 6 or 8 times at Christian chapels. A few of the students from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapel approached […]