"And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, 'This is Jesus the King of the Jews'." Crucifixions spoke in iron words: Rome rules. Centurions with their units of a hundred men bore witness. The commander on duty at this trial had seen other messiahs. When Rome lays down the law, he … Continue reading Conversion at a Roman Cross: We Have No King but Christ
It is Advent once again. And "what we must do in all earnestness," writes Hans urs von Balthasar in his Advent sermon "The Future has Already Come," "is to examine things with regard to their eternal content and eternal promise or, even better, allow ourselves to be addressed by the eternal promise that is embodied in … Continue reading Meditating on Handel’s Messiah and More: Advent’s Perpetual Preparation for Peace
The song in my head isn't on Spotify's top playlists, but a simple search provides dozens of versions. Enduringly relevant, the original text (Psalm 2) was written in Hebrew a thousand years before Christ. Its English translation came some 1600 years after him. George Frederick Handel composed the melody, an aria for bass, in 1747. … Continue reading Listening to Handel While the Nations Rage
