My dad was angry about this, and felt robbed of the comfortable retirement he had neatly planned out. After four decades of teaching at the university level, he was looking forward to taking the first of many ocean cruises with his wife of 28 years, Regina. Instead, he made his first of many visits to the hospital for bloodwork and PET scans and chemotherapy treatments intended to ward off his disease.

I miss my dad with a deep ache in my heart. But I am deeply blessed by the time we spent together during the last year of his life, and the knowledge that we became closer and loved one another more than we ever had before.

You see, my father was something of a stoic. He raised me as a single parent for 11 years before he remarried, and although he loved me deeply, he wasn’t one for outpourings of affection. We were more like roommates, each going about our daily routine and carrying our weight in keeping up the household. He was also a strict disciplinarian, especially when it came to academics, and as a child I regarded him with equal parts adoration and fear.

More importantly, my father was an atheist. And, despite all his best efforts to teach me to be a “free thinker”, I became a born again Christian at age 34.

We never talked about religion, except once several years prior, when I was attending Catholic church. Having never been taught about God at all, Catholicism was a comfortable stepping stone in my journey of faith. It was also anathema to my father, who was raised Jewish and — although he was a theology minor in college — later chose to abstain from any religious doctrine or belief in a higher power. The conversation was laughable, like a child at her First Communion trying to explain the precepts of faith to a Ph.D., when she had only encountered a feltboard Jesus.

We never discussed religion after I was born again, and left the Catholic church in New York for a pentecostal congregation in Dallas, Texas. We never talked about what it meant for me to accept Jesus into my heart, or how the Holy Spirit truly transformed me from the inside out, softening the hard edges and filling me with joy, faith and compassion.

But he saw it.

I flew to North Carolina to visit my father several times during the last two years of his life, knowing — if only in theory — that our time together was suddenly limited. And, although I never witnessed to him or shared the gospel in conversation, I lived it. I demonstrated Christ’s love to him in every way I knew how, which sometimes meant just being there to encourage him with my companionship. I asked him to tell me stories about his accomplishments in high school and college, and I helped him organize the myriad photos, awards and papers that would mark his legacy. I assured him that my husband and I were happy in our marriage and financially secure — two things that mattered deeply to him.

And I told him that I loved him. Whenever I came to visit, and whenever we talked on the phone, I made sure to tell him — and as time went on, I felt it deeper and deeper in my heart. Despite the battles of my youth and our divergent worldviews in my adulthood, I respected and appreciated my father more than ever. Nothing could take away the pain and bitterness of his sickness, but he knew that he was loved, and there is no greater balm.

My husband Craig put together this wonderful video tribute to my father’s life to play at his memorial. I’m adding it here to honor him.

I love you, dad.

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Dr. Jay Rosenberg
1942 – 2008

It’s as if, in our collective consciousness, we secretly hope that a mysterious stranger will come swooping in and save us from society’s ills. As a nation, we long to abdicate responsibility for our current state of affairs and instead look for a mystical bail-out package wrapped in a flowing cape. We want a crime-fighting vigilante with super human strength, an iron will, and perhaps a few cool gadgets to deal with the drug lords, gangbangers, and scheming sociopaths all around us.

But, this Christmas season is a reminder that the ultimate superhero has already come, and still walks with us today. He’s not an undercover agent or a radioactive monster. He is God made man — the King of King and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

It’s hard to imagine that the helpless infant born in a manger some 2000 years ago is the Savior for whom we have all been yearning. He was a carpenter, not a covert operative. He never carried a weapon, never beat up a bad guy with his bare hands. But, he overcame the world. All our sin, all our shame. We are made clean by his sacrifice – if only we will believe.

Ay, there’s the rub.  Because for all our fantastical visions of celluloid superheroes, millions still turn away from the one who came to save us. Christ is merely a myth, they say; only the feeble-minded believe those old stories.

Why don’t they accept that Jesus is our Savior? Because it’s hard. Unlike the Hollywood heroes we hope for, Christ holds us accountable. He offers salvation, but the price is submission. And, in our fast-paced, gratification-driven, socially networked world, it’s hard to imagine that we’re not the center of our universe. Scripture tells us to play by his rules — to obey Christ’s commands. Obey? Commands? This whole Christianity thing sounds more like a dictatorship.

Except that Jesus’ principal command is this: Love each other.

What dictator ever demanded that?

If you think about it, if everyone followed this one command – this one simple plea – we wouldn’t need a superhero. If we loved each other the way that Jesus loved us — through service, grace and mercy — there would be no crime, no violence, no emotional neglect or physical abuse. There would be no greed, no prejudice, and no self-centeredness. If we really understood and put into practice what Jesus calls us to do, then we would see that he truly is our Savior, wanting nothing more than to save us from ourselves.

Instead, we spend our days griping about government bail-outs as we wring our hands over our own mounting credit card debt. After a hard day’s work surfing YouTube and sending text messages, we swipe a pack of Post-It Notes from the supply room, then spend $4 on a cup of Starbucks. We hide in our homes at night and watch riveting dramas about adultery and homicide to unwind, and just before bed, we secretly peek at online porn, forgetting that the girl splayed out naked for our entertainment is someone’s daughter.

We hope for a hero, and all this time, our true hero is hoping for us. Phillipians 4:19 assures us: “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. God promises that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28), and that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins will be saved (Mark 16:16).

He promises to give us hope and a future, if we will just believe. This Christmas, don’t look to the movies for a miracle. Look to the baby in the manger, who is the only hero we need.

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
– Isaiah 55:6

‘Wait a second, lady,’ you’re probably saying, ‘I’ve been praying for a breakthrough and petitioning God for weeks/months/years to help me out of this mess. How can you say that I’m not connecting with him?’

Think of it this way: You’re in need, and you’re looking at a door that’s locked from the inside. The person that can help you is on the other side of the door. You’re talking to them–telling them all about your troubles and frustrations and how much you need their help–and they can hear everything you’re saying. But, they need you to unlock the door and let them in before they can help you. Telling someone all your problems when there’s still a barrier between you may feel like you’re asking for help. You can even start to feel bitter and resentful if they don’t come charging in to deliver you from your trials. (They’re right there, just a few inches away–why aren’t they doing something?!) But, eventually, it’s up to you to open the door and allow that person to get close.

Still not making sense? After all, God is omnipotent. When he hears our petitions, he has the power to overcome any obstacle to come to our aid.

Of course. But God is not a superhero on call. He is our loving Father. And, while he will help clean up our messes and is boundless in his mercy and grace, in the big picture, he wants a relationship with us.

And that means sometimes we need to not only ask for God’s help, but ask to know God. We need to pray not just for Him to provide a solution to our problems, but to instill in us His wisdom. Because when we’re walking in His will, we’re more likely to avoid troubles to begin with. And, when we are filled with the fruit of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control–then we are unphased by the trials and tribulations that life throws our way. We feel a deep and abiding sense of security in the arms of our loving Father that is unshakeable because we know Him. We know that we know that we know.

Some days, I find my desire to connect with God waning. I don’t feel like putting in the effort. I don’t feel like spending quiet time in His presence. I’m caught up in the world–I have too many projects on my plate, people to call, places to go–and my relationship with the Lord gets put on the back burner in much the same way that our relationship with our spouse and our friends can sometimes take second place to other “more pressing” concerns.

It’s during those times that I simply pray for God to give me the desire to know Him better. “God, I don’t want to slow down and spend time with you. Please help me want to want to.” I know that I generally do what I want, so praying to have the want is the first step to drawing nearer to God.

We are each of us qualified and invited to be in relationship with Him. Doesn’t matter your skin color, your upbringing, your education, or how badly you’ve sinned. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior to all who ask for His help. If you’re afraid to ask, then just ask for the courage to ask.

Unlock the door, and He’ll come in.

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right….” (Acts 10:24-35 NIV)

Now, what if the person you are with really, really wants you to run toward the bathroom? What if they believe, with all passion and conviction, that the door to the bathroom is the door to safety? “Here’s the a door!” they exclaim. “This is the way out!”

If you knew that the bathroom had no windows or other means of egress, would you follow them in? Again, probably not. Regardless of the person’s passion, regardless of their conviction, that door just ain’t gonna get you to safety. Quite the opposite. Sure, you’ll leave the theater, but you will be trapped in another place and will likely burn to death. Not pretty.

It’s nice to think that every door will get us to where we want to go. But, just because it’s a door doesn’t mean it’s the right door. Sadly, this analogy illustrates the backward thinking of millions of Americans. In fact, a recent survey of more than 35,000 adults found that the majority believe more than one religion can lead to heaven. Remarkably, of those participants who attend an evangelical Christian church, more than half stated that belief in Christ is not the only way to eternal life.

Y’all, let me spell it out to you in Scripture: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 6:14)

The EXIT sign in the theater leads you outside to safety. No one gets out of the building except through the exit. (I know, at this point, some readers are starting to construct detailed arguments about how the movie-goer could make their escape through an alternate route. Maybe they could go back into the main lobby and out the front entrance. Maybe there’s a door to the back alley just for deliveries. For the purpose of this analogy, let’s say you’re in a small indie film house, and there’s only one freakin’ door. I don’t want to belabor the point.)

Just because you might think it’s not fair that some people don’t get to go to heaven doesn’t mean that it’s not the truth. Heck, sometimes I think gravity is unfair. I wish I could levitate. That would be cool. I wish I could step off the side of a building and not go ‘splat’ on the pavement below. It worked in The Matrix, why not in real life?

Because, the laws of physics aren’t necessarily “fair”. But, they are what they are. And, guess what? When we abide by the laws of physics, they work in our favor. We can even cooperate with the laws of physics, and achieve things we wouldn’t have thought possible. Who knew you could build a big metal bus with wings and fly across the Atlantic in a matter of hours? That’s working with the laws, not against them.

Look, it’s one thing to be tolerant and politically correct, it’s another to lack conviction or be feeble-minded when it comes to declaring your beliefs. If you state that you believe in something, know WHY you believe it. Be able to make your case succinctly and back it up, either with factual data or at least with personal experience. If you’re not sure what you believe, for heaven’s sake, do some research.

I know that Jesus is my personal savior because he saved me. I was born again on July 16, 2003, and my life changed. My personality changed. My desires and my tastes changed. Not because I willed it, or because someone else convinced me, but because God changed me on the inside—as soon as I started to cooperate. As soon as I submitted to His will instead of mine, I was able to experience things I never knew were possible. I became better than I was before—I had more integrity, more character, and more conviction. I still fall far short of God’s glory, but when I operate outside of his design…let’s just say I’m a hot mess.

I also believe that the Bible is factually accurate. Yes, you need to consider much of its content in a historical context. Yes, Jesus spoke in parables, which weren’t meant to be taken literally. Like the analogy above, they illustrate a point. But, the long and short of it is, early on in our history, we were duped by Satan. That broke God’s heart. He chose to redeem us by sacrificing His own son, who carried the burden for all our sins, past, present and future. Everyone say it with me now: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Is it fair that Jesus is the only exit strategy for eternal life? It depends on your perspective. If you recognize that everything God does is born out of his infinite and unfailing love for us, then no, it’s not fair. Because we don’t deserve his mercy. We all have sin in our lives, which is why it’s all the more important that we understand, acknowledge and accept the redemption offered through Jesus Christ. He is our doorway to true freedom.

And, when you recognize the truth, you can really soar.