THE IRONY OF THE CROSS
BY DAVID LEE

"Irony is one of those notoriously slippery English words that is almost impossible to define. You can recognize it when you see it, but describing it is a totally different ballgame. But we can tell irony is present when the truth is confirmed by the statement of its opposite. Consider the fortune-teller who asks her customer what his name is.

Irony can be outrageously funny. It can be tragically sad. But in some rare cases, it can be immensely profound. And such is the case with one of the greatest ironies of all time: the cross. We often skim right by the cross and fail to see that it is saturated with irony..."

THE PROBABILITY OF CREATION
BY WEI LEE

"Many who know me often ask, 'Does the fact that you’re an engineer/scientist conflict with the fact that you’re a Christian?' In fact, most of the world seems to believe that science and Christianity are at odds with one another and can never be reconciled. I argue that not only are they not in conflict with each other, a deeper understanding of science is actually crucial in understanding many concepts of Christianity.

Take for example the Christian doctrine of General Revelation. Paul teaches about this in Romans 1:18-21. Paul argues that the very world we live in is a testament to God’s work or what some would call intelligent design...."

EARTHQUAKES AND GOD'S GLORY
BY DAVID LEE

"At 2:28 in the afternoon on May 12, 2008, China shook under the force of its largest earthquake in modern history. The Sichuan quake registered at an 8.0 on the Richter scale and was felt all throughout the country. Cities as far as Hanoi in Vietnam evacuated buildings as they felt the residual rumblings. While the initial quake itself caused an almost incomprehensible amount of damage, the full effects are yet to be completely assessed. As of this writing, deaths are estimated to have reached over 67,000, with 360,000 injured and an additional 20,000 missing. Such numbers boggle the mind...."

AN INHERENT NATURE
BY KEVIN QUON

"When I was I child my parents created a savings box where I would contribute a few quarters over time in order to learn the concept of preparing for the future. I was told to never take money out of that box. It was a simple tin cookie box that would rattle w/ the shaking of now uselessly deposited coins. Yet to me, that box was a restricted void that would eat the joyful opportunity to buy gumballs and G.I. Joe’s. It didn’t take long, or even involve much effort, to realize that turning useless cash into fun money was as simple as stealing it from the tin box when my parents weren’t around..."

A REASON IN FAITH
BY KEVIN QUON

"As one who's always believed in seeing the bigger picture, I’ve always trusted that God could be known in the Universe He created. For the God-who-is, it is reasonable to believe that throughout time He would provide a result that clearly reveals Himself to us. Even if the very challenge is that by faith we are to seek Him, His work is already made visible by the handiwork of creation. And by such, a god who reveals his work has not entirely hidden a path from us to discerning Him.

After all, faith without reason is stupidity. One who jumps on a leap of faith without a reason to believe that everything is going to be alright needs only to know how hard the bottom is..."

NOT JUST A PART OF LIFE
BY DANIEL SMELTZER

"I grew up in a Christian home, with generations of believers before me. Now grateful for this upbringing, I believe that I had always been challenged from an early age to know who Jesus was and what a faith in Him looked like. However, I didn’t readily accept this faith, despite a nurturing environment filled with AWANA club, youth group, Sunday School, youth retreats, etc. There were peaks in this journey, but usually just “mountain high experiences.” Admittedly, there were often more of the valley lows. I learned to be a “Sunday Christian” – where I would live for Jesus on Sundays, but Monday-Saturday I lived for myself...."

THE REBORN IDENTITY
BY MARTIN YAN