In his 2012 highly acclaimed bestseller “Why Nations Fail” Turkish-born Armenian-American author, MIT professor and one of the most prominent economists in the world Daron Acemoğlu explores why some nations are rich and others poor, why nations are divided by food and famine, prosperity and poverty, health and sickness. He dives deep into these questions […]

Nobody likes spam. Thanks to the adoption of intelligent technologies, we don’t see much spam these days. But that was not the case in the not very distant past. Many of us will remember the good old days when every morning while checking our emails, we would be surprised to discover that we are related […]

There are striking similarities and differences among ancient Near Eastern stories and legends of creation. We find the spiritual elegance and grace in the Biblical narrative where God creates the universe out of his abundant love and with his mere word to be in sharp contrast with the Babylonian version dominated by violence and murder. […]

When Julius Caesar prevailed in the battle of Zela, he did not commission for his biography or the tale of great victory to be written, he did not order statues and monuments of marble and gold to be erected. Instead, he sent a letter to Rome comprised of mere three simple words, – “Veni, vidi, […]

Francois Fenelon is a seventeenth-century French Roman Catholic archbishop, theologian, poet and writer. He was also the court preacher for King Louis XIV of France. His church would be packed with people on days when they knew the King would be in the church. One Sunday, when the king arrived at the chapel, no one […]

At what point in your life did you feel most strongly the presence of God? Have you ever felt God actively guiding you, the events and direction of your life? Have you ever wondered what your true and divine calling is in life? There are times in life when we can clearly feel and see […]

In the battle of Waterloo, the faith of modern Europe was being shaped. The army of the United Kingdom was facing the French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte. People in England were anxiously awaiting news of the outcome from the battleground. A signalman was stationed on top of the Winchester Cathedral with specific […]

Recently, I read a story about a Sunday School teacher (see The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew by Michael J. Wilkins) who decided to quiz her preschool class and find out what they learned and remembered about Easter. The first student she asked stood up and explained that Easter is when all the family comes together, […]

We treasure the memory of our loved ones and remember them by having their pictures next and around us. From the earliest times, Christians around the world created and cherished depictions and illustrations of Christ. Over the centuries, how Christ was portrayed in art changed and evolved. And while there is very little in common […]