John Mark Reynolds

Office of the White HouseCzar for Celebration and JollificationAlcibiades Antinous, DirectorRE: The White House Christmas CrècheSomeone must tell the President that his display of the Christmas crèche is inconsistent with our recent policies regarding holiday celebrations in the United . . . . Continue Reading »

When I was a kid, I always ended up as a shepherd in the Christmas pageant. I lacked the heft to be Joseph, as a guy did not want to be an angel, and somehow never made the cut as a wise man.My college students have made suggestions about that last one.There were, however, many advantages to being a . . . . Continue Reading »

In our house we have the tradition of putting the Baby Jesus in the creche on midnight on Christmas Eve. During Advent the manger sits empty with the other figures around it . . . waiting. I love it when Hope, as lady of the house, brings out the Baby and completes the scene.Christmas will be here . . . . Continue Reading »

The one thing most moderns know about Eve is that she was naked. They have some notion that there was a talking snake, a tree, and some problem, but nobody is quite sure what the problem was.Evidently God got really mad because Eve ate an apple . . . or something.What does Eve have to do with . . . . Continue Reading »

She is the ultimate grandmother, the grandmother of God. Most of us know our time will pass, but she became lost in the glare of history the moment she held a baby girl and named her “Mary.” Anne is the model for all of us who have a small role in making a place for greater people.The . . . . Continue Reading »

Christmas came to old Anna, because Anna was waiting. Anna saw beauty, because God chose her and she said, “Yes.”A weird belief in our culture is that God is pretty lucky if we choose him. “Why should I believe in God?” people will ask me and there are certainly answers to . . . . Continue Reading »

Nobody knew her name, but then she burst into history after a long life. Elizabeth was a failure by the standards of her culture, but God loved her. Just when most friends thought her time had past, Elizabeth found herself at the beginning of Christmas.There is hope in her life for any of us.God . . . . Continue Reading »

There is darkness and then there is a night sky filled with stars. The first is hellish despair, but the second is a chance to look up toward the lights of Heaven.Advent allows us to follow a Holy Star toward Bethlehem where we will find the light of the World, the Son of God. One woman is part of . . . . Continue Reading »

Saturday I had the chance to hear Mitt Romney speak without notes or teleprompter. He took questions from the audience.I realized how low my standards had become for politicians. Romney was amazing. He gave complete answers, used historical references for his points from memory, and showed a sense . . . . Continue Reading »

Ecumenical dialogue is important. One problem in discussions between Christians has been the failure to recognize that each group quotes different Biblical authors. We all know that Paul is a Protestant, for example, but few recognize that Paul himself can be divided between early Paul . . . . Continue Reading »