1 Samuel

I'm writing from Jerusalem after a day where I walked where Jesus walked. Wow.

It's my first trip. I have so many memorable impressions. For starters, Israel is both larger and smaller than I expected. The entire country is the size of Maryland--way smaller than my home state of Texas. The distance from the Mount of Olives to the Dome of the Rock is much smaller than I imagined, but the distance across the Jezreel Valley/Magiddo is greater. I also didn't realize that a part of the Wailing Wall was for women. All the photos I had seen were of ultra-orthodox men.

I owe a debt of gratitude to the author (and of course, the Author) of 1 Samuel 1. Thanks for keeping it real, Hannah. This chapter takes us through what must have been an excruciating personal journey in infertility and relational chaos. Hannah is barren and surrounded by fertility (can anyone else identify with this?).

Nothing enrages me more than the injustice of the abuse of power. Corrupt governments seizing farm lands to fill the pockets of the already-wealthy; a supervisor sexually harassing a direct report; or, lately, an unremorseful man who made millions - oh, wait, billions - in an elaborate ponzi scheme, whose choices are wreaking havoc on non-profits. Bernie Madoff has bankrupted so many, and he and his wife apparently sold their remorse in exchange for a double-portion of greed.