Articles

I'D HIT A SNAG in Sunday School class: the Beatitudes. As Jesus' introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, these statements have been handed down for two thousand years as descriptions of what leads to supreme happiness.

It's been called the Holy Scriptures, the Good Book, and "the chart of life. " Science and Health, p.

" OH YES, YOU DID LAUGH, "  Gen. 18:15 (NRSV).

Christine Solomon was well-equipped to respond when we asked her to write the second article in our series on the Beatitudes, especially since she's in the middle of working on a book on the Bible. As always, Christine found the writing process a learning experience.

It was the winter of 1980-81, and we were students in southern Poland. The weather was bleak and cold; the political climate was the same.

It's not just Dorothy Polatin's in-the-pool prowess that makes this high school freshman worthy of her "rookie of the year" award. Sure, she made a splash on her varsity team by swimming what her coach dubbed "gutsy" races and earning enough points to letter as a first-timer on the team.

It was a regular day at school except for the fact that I had to run a mile for PE. I had gotten only one week's notice about this, and I was very worried.

When an emergency happens, people are often quick to respond. Their hearts naturally go out to those in need, and they begin to think of how they can help.

For many people who live outside of South Asia, the effects of the earthquake and tsunami that killed over 225,000 people in late December may seem far away in every sense of the word. But the questions raised by this event and others like it can hit much closer to home.

One Christmas, my wife gave me a bicycle. Everyone else in the family knew about it, but I was completely surprised.