I should have saved my DVRs of the Winter Olympics. I liked the news from Russia a lot better back then. As soon as the fireworks in Sochi ended, the fireworks in Ukraine began. And suddenly part of Ukraine is part of Russia. Hello?
And with Russia flexing its expansionist muscles, I'm hearing those two words again. Words we thought we buried in the '80s.
Cold War.
Where are Malaysia Air 370 and its 239 passengers? I can't remember a time when so many nations - 26 so far - have mounted a search-and-rescue effort. Across such a wide swath of the world.
To search for - and, if possible - save people who are lost.
As I was watching the unfolding news...and praying - God seemed to say to me, "There's something else I want you to see here."
Suddenly I was hearing in my heart the words of Jesus - that He had come "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).
This lost plane is just sad beyond words. None of the "experts" can remember a time when a plane full of passengers has so totally vanished.
And none of the people who love those passengers could ever have imagined the nightmare they're living right now.
Jerked around by one theory, one "sighting," one dashed hope after another.
As a "frequent flyer," I've flown a lot of miles over the years. All over the world. So the eerie disappearance of Malaysia Air 370 hits a little too close to home.
As a "frequent flyer," I've flown a lot of miles over the years. All over the world. So the eerie disappearance of Malaysia Air 370 hits a little too close to home.
I've said the sad goodbyes to my wife and children and boarded those international flights. They prayed - I prayed - that "daddy will get home safe." It looks like 239 passengers may not.
Beyond the mystery of what happened is the misery of those left behind. I've watched the unspeakable grief of the loved ones of those passengers. Waiting for word on the person they love. Watching hope slip away.
It's always painful to lose someone you love. But the suddenness of this. The devastating possibilities. The awful unanswered questions - that may never be answered.
The Son of God is in theaters all over the place.
Actually, the movie by that title. And based on its opening weekend, it's drawing a crowd.
Of course, it's not the first time something like this has happened. "The Passion of the Christ" turned out to be a blockbuster, too. Who'd have guessed?
When I was growing up, a movie about Jesus' life wouldn't have shown folks much they didn't know. People knew a lot about Him.
But not now. Lots of people need an introduction.
I watched the news today and got a little of that déjà vu thing.
Russian troops moving to take over part of another country.
This morning the world is racing to respond to a crisis in the Crimean portion of Ukraine. Before it turns violent or spreads. As I write this, the stock market is dropping because, as one investor said, "money doesn't like war."
I'm not normal. Most folks watch the women's Olympic figure skating and just enjoy the grace of those "twizzles" and "triple lutzes."
Not me. I'm a story guy. So I'm sitting there mulling the stories of those skaters. And thinking, "We've got something to learn from her."
There's reality TV. And then there are the Olympics. The real reality TV.
All the drama. The triple axles on the ice. The amazing jumps on the ski slopes. The gravity-defying flight of the snowboarders.
Oh, and the falls. The missed cues. The bad starts. The crashes.
And then there are the replays. Of the memorable performances. And, the mess-ups.
Whenever the Winter Olympics come around, I have a persistent memory that keeps flashing back in my brain.
It was February, and I was speaking at a conference in Holland. The Winter Olympics were going on in Europe that year, but they weren't on my radar. Until the afternoon I had the TV on in my room while I was getting dressed for the next meeting. The commentary was all in Dutch - which was all Greek to me. Until the announcer spoke a name I knew.
