God

Q: If Jesus is going to return some day and make the world a better place, why doesn't he go ahead and do it? The world is so messed up that I can't understand why he doesn't return now. — F.R.H. A: One of the Bible's greatest promises is that one day Jesus Christ will return — and when he does, all the evil we see around us will be destroyed and he will rule the world in perfect justice and peace. The Bible says, "In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13)

Q: My wife and I had a discussion last night concerning the different time periods we actually celebrate Easter. Sometimes, Easter is in mid-April, and sometimes in early March. We celebrate the birth of Christ on Dec. 25 every year, yet there's no definitive date to celebrate His death and resurrection. Is this because history has never been able to pinpoint exact dates for these important events in our religious and faith history? I think most Christians would prefer to celebrate both events on specific dates.

Q: Does God ever tell us to do something, or to believe something, that contradicts the Bible? A friend of mine says the Bible is out of date and we need to let the Spirit guide us in new directions, but I'm not so sure about that. — S.Y. * A: You're right to be skeptical of your friend's views — because God never tells us to do anything that He has clearly forbidden in His Word, the Bible. God does not change, and neither does His Word. After all, one reason God has given us His Word is so we can know what is true and right — and also what isn't true and right.

It was an incandescent moment of enlightenment. And I blew it off. Though a revelation for me personally, it served for a considerable time as just a way station for my life's journey, failing to change me in any substantive way. The "moment" I've alluded to occurred one sultry August evening in 1965 when I was a 20-year-old American soldier stationed in Seoul, South Korea. Shortly after the midnight curfew had taken effect, I was walking across a U.S. military compound on my way back to my barracks following a night on the town.

Thank you, dear readers, for your many kind comments on my column welcoming Pope Francis to the world of healing and hope. I'm truly excited to see his first humble and gracious acts, and I hope they presage a time of new beginnings and old continuities for the Catholic Church. I was particularly pleased to learn that one of the things he did was write a warm and welcoming letter to the rabbi of Rome pledging his commitment to continue the work of improving Catholic-Jewish relations.

Q: I suppose you'd call me a "Christmas and Easter" kind of Christian, because those are about the only days I go to church (except for weddings or funerals). Why should I bother doing any more? — L.W. A: Although I hope that someday you'll attend church more regularly, I'm thankful you haven't dropped out completely, and that you still make the effort to attend services on Christmas and Easter. After all, Christmas and Easter commemorate two of the most important events in human history, and as you attend Easter services next week, I hope you'll pause to think more deeply about the meaning of these two days.

Q: Someone gave our two children some games for Christmas (including a Ouija board) that are supposed to be able to tap into spiritual forces to predict the future. She said they're just innocent games, but I'm not so sure, and I haven't let the children play with them yet. Am I just being narrow-minded? — Mrs. R. McC. A: No, you aren't being narrow-minded. You are wise to protect your children from anything that might bring them into contact with occult spiritual forces that do not come from God and are even opposed to God. I realize not everyone will agree with this; many today dismiss the reality of occult forces that may wish us harm.

The good news is that I did not swear an oath of secrecy. The bad news is that I don't know anything about what went on in the Sistine Chapel and I'm not Catholic. However, my best friend is a priest and I remember tenderly joking with Father Tom Hartman that if he was ever elected pope, he would choose as his pope name Pope John Paul George Ringo. Seriously, as a Jew I love the Catholic Church, and I offer my joyous blessings with a full heart and hopeful thoughts to the new pontiff, Pope Francis, from Buenos Aires.

So many readers have shared with me the one question they'd ask God. Thank you! Here's another selection, along with my comments. For the authoritative answers, you're going to just have to wait for The Boss to get around to you. Q. When I was 5 years old, I was in the family car coming home from Brighton Beach in Brooklyn and I saw God in the sky. I would ask God, "Why I was able to see you and what did it mean?" (I've never seen Him again.) — D MG: What did God look like?

Q: I've gotten involved in a ministry that our church has started to prisoners in our local jail, but I honestly wonder if we're doing any good. Just holding a chapel service once a week doesn't seem like much. Am I wrong? — F.N. A: Over the years, I've received countless letters from prisoners, and I want to assure you that what your church is doing is important. God may open up additional opportunities as time goes on, but thank Him for giving you this opportunity, and ask Him to help you use it wisely.