RaMbLeS
Welcome to RaMbLeS, a collection of weekly musings on life and Scripture. It all began in 2005 on Google’s blogspot as the aBeLOG (a name now recycled), a semi-autobiographical devotional that attempted to keep well-wishers abreast of my activities as I relocated to Scotland for a few years. Since my return, I’ve continued my RaMbLeS, and here’s its most recent incarnation on Homiletix, as random reflections usually based on current news articles and travel experiences and whatever else takes my fancy!
Temple?
I was in Istanbul a couple of weeks ago. One of the highlights was visiting the Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”).
Once a church, then a mosque, now a museum. One of the most impressive (and important) structures on the planet!
Emperor Justinian I built the church between 532–537 AD, choosing a physicist (Isidore of Miletus) and a mathematician (Anthemius of Tralles) to design the structure, decorated with Greek columns from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, purple marble
Success?
He did it again. Broke another record. This one is probably going to stand for a looooong time. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (IND) became the first batsman to score 100 international centuries (century = 100 or more runs in a single innings)! Playing Bangladesh last Friday, history was made. (The next highest run-getter is 29 centuries behind.) All said and done, Tendulkar has scored over 32,000 runs, an amazing feat.
And this guy is now 38 years old. Another amazing feat. Not
Changing!
With this, the 341st issue of the aBeLOG, things are going to change.
It all began five-plus years ago, when I was “fixin’” to go to Scotland for doctoral work. The aBeLOG would serve as a means to keep well-wishers and friends apprised of my goings-on and antics.
All along, however, I had wanted HOMILETIX and the aBeLOG to be a preaching-focused endeavor, dealing with issues pertaining to homiletics and anything related to homiletics. The time has come to move in
Laws!
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2257/94 of the European Union, aka the “bendy banana law,” lays down minimum quality standards for bananas. It went into effect on Jan 1, 1995.
Green bananas should be green and unripened, fit for human consumption, not rotten, clean, free of pests and pest-caused damage, free from bruising or any “foreign” smell or taste. It should be at least 14 cm long and 2.7 cm thick. And—get this—the regulation mandates that bananas not have
Locked!
The guy was caught with his pants down. Literally.
The pilot of a Chatauqua Airlines flight from Asheville, NC, to New York City, decided it was time for a bathroom break mid-flight. That was when the problems began.
The door jammed and he couldn’t get out. There he was in tight quarters, with the plane ready to land. Desperate to get the plane that was in a holding pattern over LaGuardia down on terra firma, he began banging on the door to attract attention.
A sympathetic
Consumption!
Heart Attack Grill. Yup, that’s what it’s called.
In that notable Las Vegas culinary establishment, your meal can cross the 8,000 calorie mark. (You might remember that the recommended daily intake is between 2,000 and 2,500 of the good stuff per day.)
As if to poke the medical establishment in the eye, waitresses dressed as nurses bring the Heart Attack’s food to your table. Their logo has an EKG in the background: I suppose they guarantee your needing one pretty
Aroma!
Bird strikes? OK. Engine problems? Of course. Security threat? Absolutely! I’d gladly be delayed and/or have to return to the airport rather than fly with these potentially dangerous problems. There have been a few odd reasons for delays other than the above and acts of God and inclement weather and the like.
A few weeks ago, a cat got loose in the cockpit; Ripples, the offending feline forced passengers to deplane—a 4-hour delay. Or take the case of a two-hour delay
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching. 