I was providing chaplain services at the bedside of a woman dying of cancer. She hadn’t eaten or drank anything for days. She had been sleeping and unresponsive during that time. The nurses knew and had told us that she was actively dying. As we stood quietly by her bed, we talked to her and about her, encouraging one another. Suddenly, a male nurse she had been quite fond of walked into the room. “Hello Mary,” he boomed with his deep base voice. “HI!!!” she shouted back send

Recently, I heard a Christian commentator describing how exaggeration—especially of the negative—spreads. For example, “Everyone hates this,” might be the opening salvo to a pastor or leader. “Of course, both the pastor and the speaker know,” the commentator said, “that ‘everyone’ isn’t literally ‘every-one.” Still, the case is presented as if there was a consensus about the failure of a ministry or the general distaste for it. This probably isn't true. Still, I’ve seen and f