BOGUS DEAL Have you ever bought something that turned out to be phony? Maybe you were traveling, and grabbed a can of soda without noticing that it was a “Pespi” or a “Coca-Gola.” The name on the can looked right (at least close enough to fool you), but it was definitely not right. One taste will tell you! Sometimes, the fakery is more hidden. Scammers and ripoff artists who profit from substandard wares have learned to obscure the truth in many ways: A picture... more

EITHER/OR There’s a well-known property of cake: after you eat it, you no longer have it. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. This commonsense adage has been around a very long time, reminding us that sometimes we must choose one thing, or the other—that we can’t have it both ways. A coin flip cannot be heads and tails. You cannot quit your job and keep it. You cannot stay inside and go outside—sometimes you have to pick a side. Those who tinker in... more

THE RESISTANCE There’s a recurring theme in a lot of movies: a heroic band of ragtag misfits fights against an oppressive enemy—outnumbered and outgunned, they battle overwhelming obstacles seeking deliverance, freedom. We munch our popcorn and wait for the good guys to find a way to beat the odds and end the tyranny. The story has been retold so many times, we tend to automatically root for the rebels. It feels like justice when the ruthless overlords are toppled. We like to say,... more

HOW IT IS I’m not a fan of coffee. To make the stuff drinkable, it needs just a little more than too much sugar. Not long ago, I was having one of my infrequent cups of coffee. As happens sometimes, there were some undissolved sugar crystals in the bottom of my cup. Now, I happen to like this little candy surprise, so I was glad... until my world turned upside down and a most unpleasant upheaval took place in my emotions. Those weren’t sugar crystals--they were coffee grounds! I... more

INDUBITABLY In a way, hunger means knowing we want something. An orange, maybe. Or pickles. But we can also hunger for many sorts of things besides food—love, freedom, understanding, prestige, security, time... we want a lot of things. Whatever we hunger for, if we find it, we know we’ve found it—because the hunger dissipates. Having received exactly what we wanted, relief comes—and fulfillment. But what about our spiritual hungers? Most of us have felt the... more

HARD WORDS Just today, I came across an opinion about Jesus that is somewhat common, but also a bit odd—someone who is “not at all Christian” nevertheless “likes Jesus.” Even though this way of thinking is fairly widespread, it’s still a little perplexing. The core of Jesus’s teaching was to believe in Him, to follow Him, and to know that He and God the Father are one. To like His teaching, but not be a Christian, does seem somewhat strange. But then I... more