Shortly after September 11, 2001, the news media began airing coverage of Martin and Gracia Burnham, a missionary pilot and his wife, who were abducted by Muslim terrorists with ties to Osama Bin Laden.  The Burnhams remained hostages of the Abu Sayyoaf for more than a year, struggling to overcome constant fear, illness, and near-starvation.  The...

**The names in this testimony have been changed to protect the identies of those involved.** Fatima shivered in her cell as she reviewed her desperate circumstances. Her husband Hasan was confined in another part of the Greek prison.  What was he thinking right now, she wondered?  Did he regret fleeing persecution? Was he remembering the time...

The hum in the office grew as people filtered in that morning. Soft chuckles over some incident the night before, muffled conversations and ringing phones filled the air. Suddenly, an urgent tone broke in. The first reports of a possible tragedy began circulating, and while some employees wrapped up phone calls, one or two turned on a radio, and...

This article is part of an extended series. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 In our happiest times we do not want to die. The wish for death rises only when our suffering seems unbearable.  What we really want in those times is not death,...

The Bible is a drama that tells the story of life – and life is made meaningful by relationships. Quite simply, the Bible is a book about relationships. A story of relationships At its core, the Bible offers wisdom for relationships and life. Through narratives, historical records, letters, poetry and songs, the Bible offers guidance on how...

Of all the types of suffering we see in the world, the most difficult to understand is the suffering of the innocent—in particular, innocent children. When the devastating tsunami of 2004 took scores of thousands of lives, it was hard to comprehend the magnitude of such an enormous loss.After a while, the images blurred together, leaving many of...

On September 11, 2001 I said my first prayer. My son was a police officer with the New York Police Department. As I sat watching the Twin Towers burn, at first I thought that he was fine since he worked a desk job at One Police Plaza. But what if he went over to help? “Please God,” I said, “if you’re listening… don’t let them go...