In December 1938, 29-year-old British stockbroker Nicholas Winton visited Prague to assist in Jewish refugee camps. Winton was shocked at the atrocious conditions, especially for children, who were facing almost certain death by the Nazis. In order to get these children to safety, Winton established a small operation in Prague. He contacted European and American governments, asking them to take in children. Only Sweden and Great Britain agreed. The British Parliament required that each child entering the country have a foster home, an entry visa and 50 pounds for return transport. Winton pleaded with the British Home Office to expedite [...]

My friends and I stroll through the mall but no one notices us. I stop at a convenience store on the way home, and no one’s pulse spikes in fear. If I move into your section of town, you don’t think, “There goes the neighborhood.” I am a white woman. Therefore, unless I draw attention to myself, people leave me alone. People don’t fear me or worry that I might be carrying a concealed weapon. In the event that I do something stupid, people say, “That was really stupid.” They do not say, “See? All those white women are idiots.” [...]

The call came years ago on a raw afternoon in early spring. The woman on the other end of the phone introduced herself as a writer. She explained that Parenting Magazine had hired her to write a story about how to prevent spoiled children, and she wanted to interview me on the topic. She'd been given my name through a convoluted series of contacts, none of whom had ever met me - or my children. How did she know my kids weren't spoiled? The interview was fascinating. The writer presented me with 8 specific scenarios involving children who were not [...]

For Father George the Humble. It was a stupid idea. What was I thinking? Something had been bugging me for months. I knew God wanted me to take my faith to a deeper level and I was pretty sure it had something to do with humility. The prospect didn't thrill me. After months of ignoring God, I finally acknowledged His not-so-gentle nudging. Okay, it was more like an affectionate shove. And thus it happened that on a Tuesday in November, I began to pray an extremely dangerous prayer. I asked God to strip me of pride and teach me humility. [...]

The year was 1942, and Holland was under Nazi occupation. The elderly Casper ten Boom and his middle-aged daughters were leading quiet lives as watchmakers until Jewish neighbors began disappearing. One night after curfew, a terrified Jewish woman arrived at the door of the ten Boom shop. The woman's husband had just been arrested, her son was in hiding, and she was anxious about returning home for fear of arrest. She'd heard that the Christian ten Boom family had helped a Jewish neighbor, and she didn't know where else to turn. Casper ten Boom kindly assured her, “God's people are [...]

Just moments into the discussion, I knew where it was going. A group of women had gathered over coffee, and for reasons that now escape me, the topic turned to the homeless. “You know what I don't understand?” one woman began rather stridently. “Where are their families? Why should their care be left to government hand-outs and charities?” “Yeah,” several women agreed. “Don't the homeless have families to care for them?” Should I or shouldn't I? I wondered. Did I have the emotional energy to enter the controversy? I put my toe into the water. “Do any of you know [...]

They met in college, he an athletic playboy and she, a studious goody two shoes. It was an unlikely match from the start, a fact that her friends continually pointed out. His first move was to invite her to the local bar; she declined because she was leading a campus Bible study that evening. He'd heard plenty of rejection lines but that one was new. Their first date was a week later and the hours brimmed with laughter. When she finally looked at her watch, it was 2 a.m. “I have to go!” she exclaimed like Cinderella at the ball. [...]

By the time I hung up the phone, I already regretted my decision. Who in her right mind agrees to substitute teach a large 6th grade CCD class? But my friend couldn't find anyone in her own parish to fill in, and she was desperate. Fine, I said. I'll do it. Besides, I like 6th graders. I just don't like them in packs. The assigned topic was God the Father. I began my preparation with prayer. Never go in front of middle schoolers without first praying. Never do anything without praying, but that's another topic. I sought ideas from teachers, [...]

Pat's daughter was dying and her co-workers knew it. Each day after work, Pat headed to the AIDS residence to sit by her grown daughter's bedside. She also offered her sewing skills to other residents of the house. She mended clothes, replaced buttons, and altered garments to fit bodies that were wasting away. She distributed rosary beads and music tapes. Mostly she tried to squeeze a lifetime of loving into the few remaining months of her daughter's life. "You're exhausted," her supervisor said to Pat one day. The supervisor insisted that Pat take off every Tuesday afternoon in order to [...]

For Tierney, whose zest for God inspires me The prodigal son. It's one of the most powerful stories ever told, and I never liked it. The younger son of a wealthy land owner greedily demanded his inheritance, then squandered it on foolishness. Hungry and destitute in a foreign land, the son returned home in shame to beg his father's forgiveness. The father was overjoyed at the prodigal's return and threw a big party to celebrate. The older brother, however, resented the fanfare. He had labored for years without reward while his reckless brother got a banquet just for showing up. [...]