Flashes of Thought.

 1 Samuel 2:18  But Samuel ministered before the Lord, a   child girded with a linen ephod. A poignant verse that pierces my mother heart. We live in the days of the idolatry of children. Days where men and women are so consumed with their children, at the expense of God. Dark days when ignorantly and stubbornly, parents continue to give their children to Molech, that ancient god to whom the Israelites sacrificed their children. Through ungodly training and upbringing, many children are the trophies that are rejoiced over in the temples of Dagon, even as the Philistines rejoiced over the heads of Saul and his sons. Many parents have children that belong to them but don't belong to the Lord. A tragedy! But scripture tells us of a woman who, at the height of her desperation and consequent illumination made a vow to the Lord. She made a vow to give her child to the Lord, if only He would open up her womb. And so before conception, the child was already conse...

One of my favorite songs carries a line so gripping that it has lingered with me: “ You’ve got this way of taking away those shadows that hung around.” As I sat with those words, it dawned on me that to be human is, in many ways, to live under shadows. From the moment we are conceived in the mind of God, carried in our parents as egg and sperm, formed in the womb, born into family, and shaped within community, we are shaped by countless shadows. Some nurture us. Others wound us. And even those shadows we don't recognize or fully understand, we feel their weight all the same. Shadow, as a symbol, is deeply significant. First , shadow speaks of protection and refuge . Think of walking under the scorching sun, your body yearns for shade, the shadow of a tree or a building to offer relief. Or remember being a child, frightened by a barking dog, instinctively hiding in the shadow of your mother. Shadow was safety. Second , shadow signifies presence and closeness . You ca...

It is in God’s divine design that life is lived inside out—that the true essence of our being flows from within rather than without. Yet this truth is often lost amid the endless stimuli pulling at our senses. And so, many live outside in, allowing external measures and fleeting impressions to dictate their inner state. This inversion has given rise to countless restless wanderings among humanity. Day after day, we chase after this and that—always pursuing but never apprehending, always seeking but rarely finding. Many achieve, yet few are fulfilled. Our accomplishments multiply, but the void within only deepens. The world becomes a labyrinth of wandering souls: laughing, smiling, appearing content, yet overshadowed by an unshakable emptiness. Seldom do we pause to look inward, to heed the silent whispers of eternity echoing in our hearts. We lack the courage to dig into the dark, silent depths of our souls until light breaks forth. Intimidated by the shadows within, we shu...

We live in a world obsessed with perfect beauty—flawless skin, toned muscles, impeccable shapes. Entire industries thrive on this hunger for perfection. Scars and marks are frowned upon, often perceived as ugliness to be hidden. And so, we run to surgeries, conceal with heavy makeup, or hide behind masks, desperate to erase these evidences of imperfection. But what if we chose to see our scars differently? Not as stains to be covered, but as symbols to be embraced. Why? Because they are markers of wisdom gained. Evidences of the unique stories marked into our beings that make us who we are. I don’t know about you, but I’ve come to a sobering realization: because of the fickleness of human nature, most wisdom must be branded into us if it is to stay with us. Unfortunately, without pain and without scars, much of life’s wisdom slips away. But when etched into our bodies or our souls, it endures. It remains with us into old age, shaping who we are. Think about it. Almost every...

For someone who cannot see, it might be assumed that the ultimate blessing would be having their eyes opened. Yet, scripture narrates a poignant tale of two 'blind' individuals—Adam and Eve—whose eyes were indeed opened, but only to the heartbreaking realization of their nakedness after consuming the forbidden fruit. The story of the fall offers many profound insights, but today I want to focus particularly on how knowledge influences our consciousness. We live in an age overflowing with information, where all type of knowledge multiplies by the day. Thanks to technological advancements, accessing this wealth of information has never been easier. Through mainstream media, social networks, and alternative platforms, we are bombarded with a relentless stream of data. On the other hand slogans like "knowledge is power" drive us to pursue information, often in a quest to validate our superiority. Ultimately we find ourselves in a loop of either being chased or chasing inf...

In the poem 'Nakbat Dimashq' (The Tragedy of Damascus), poet Ahmed Shawqi presents a poignant line: " And the red freedom has a door, struck by every bloodied hand." This line was echoed by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in one of his last videos before his death. As I reflected on this line and contemplated the wars currently raging in Ukraine, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere, I realized that it is nearly impossible to separate freedom from struggle. There are three nuances to the concept of freedom: first, "freedom from," which denotes liberation from societal constraints; second, "freedom to," which signifies the ability to do what we wish; and third, "freedom to be," which extends beyond mere actions to encompass the freedom to become who we were meant to be. Yet, in all these nuances, it is evident that historically and conceptually, 'freedom' often involves overcoming obstacles, fighting against ...

In Christendom, a lot of emphasis is placed—rightly so—on knowing God. People are encouraged to go the extra mile in their pursuit of God and the knowledge of Him. One of the common themes used to motivate this pursuit is the idea that knowledge is power.  However, there’s an important caveat to this notion.  Not all knowledge is power, except for the knowledge that is retained within us. Think back to those days in the exam room when you faced your examination paper. During that test, it was only the knowledge you had retained that could help you. Any knowledge gathered but forgotten was like a lightbulb that wouldn't turn on in the darkness—useless.  So, what am I trying to convey?   I am conveying that it is not enough to simply gather knowledge about God; we must also ensure that we retain what we know and understand about Him. Only that retained knowledge can illuminate our paths. Often, we focus heavily on gathering knowledge without checking t...