"The Straight Story": Going the Distance to Reconcile

The Straight Story chronicles a 73-year-old man's pilgrimage to mend a broken relationship with his brother, Lyle, whom he hasn't seen or spoken ...

Chris Farley's Hope for God's Forgiveness

Near his death, "Saturday Night Live" comedian Chris Farley stated: "There's only one who's in control. He'll take me when ...

Guilty Plea Brings Freedom

The banner headline across the top of one Chicago Tribune read, "Guilty Plea Sets Inmate Free." The picture showed the freed man embracing his ...

Good Works Inadequate

When a pastor named Michael was still in seminary, he took a required course in "clinical pastoral education." Each seminarian was assigned ...

Pardon Must Be Accepted

During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, George Wilson, a postal clerk, robbed a federal payroll from a train and in the process killed a guard. The court ...

Running in the Wrong Direction

The story of "Wrong Way Riegels" is a familiar one, but it bears repeating.

On New Year's Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that ...

Father Forgive Them

During the summer lull between graduate school studies I outlined my sermons for the coming fall. At the end of August I submitted the sermon titles for ...

God Is Out to Pardon

Several years ago, a businessman found out about an elderly widow who was unable to pay her rent. Feeling pity for her, he went to some of his friends ...

He Doesn't Remember

A nun once confessed to her bishop that Christ had revealed himself to her in person. The bishop was surprised, but he knew this nun and the deep walk ...

Forgiven and Forgotten

A Forgiving God in an Unforgiving World retells the true story of a priest in the Philippines, a much-loved man of God who carried the burden of a secret ...