Holy Matrimony

SUMMARY

Sacredness in marriage is described psychologically as an intense, complex, committed bond, mutually respectful and vulnerable, whose unique depth for both persons evokes the special word “holy.” Examples are cited, including the qualities lacking and at stake in problematic marriages.     

Holy Movement and Holy Place: Christian Pilgrimage and the Hajj

Abstract : This article uses a comparative theological model to explore the concept of pilgrimage—holy movement and holy place. It examines Christian pilgrimage exemplified by John Paul II's pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 2000 and Islamic pilgrimage exemplified by the Hajj. It then re‐visions Christian pilgrimage by suggesting how three features of the Hajj (danger and hardship, ritual nature, and gathering) can be used to deepen the Christian experience and understanding of pilgrimage.     

The Holy Spirit in Mission

God initiated mission and intends to achieve it by work of the Holy Spirit. Thus, mission—which God commands his church to accomplish—belongs to God, not to human agency. Prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to his disciples, and asked them to wait in Jerusalem. This Holy Spirit is given to enable them to be witnesses of Jesus from Jerusalem to the end of the world. This implies that the church has to partner with the Holy Spirit to fulfil this mission. Missionaries need to consciously work together with Spirit and be directed and guided by the Spirit.     

Twelve-Year-Old Face,Holy Heart

This is a poem seeking to capture the sacredness of deep human connection, in this instance, between the author and a twelve-year-old girl whom he meets in the presence of her mother. The poem integrates these types of human encounters with biblical understandings and dynamics of divine manifestations in human beings and human relationships.