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In just a matter of weeks, Pope Francis has faced several new challenges in his long-running battle with chronic lung disease. The spiritual leader’s condition has been critical, with news of his well-being waxing and waning since Feb. 14 given his age and fragility.

Here’s a breakdown of what 88-year-old Francis is facing:

What conditions...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: There is a lot said these days about getting Americans back to work, particularly following the devastation of COVID-19 that put small businesses out of commission. What does the Bible say about work in general? – W.P.

A: Jesus had a great deal to say about labor (work). He was interested in ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge has paused changes to U.S. Department of Homeland Security policy that would allow immigration enforcement agents to enter houses of worship. The order affects the Quaker, Sikh, and Baptist congregations throughout the country, including Quakers in Philadelphia, affiliated with the lawsuit.

Over a dozen migrants...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is it wrong to listen to rap music? Some people say yes, others no. Some say it’s wrong to watch movies or certain television shows. Who is to say what’s right or wrong in these areas? – M.E.

A: We must remember that our minds are molded in many different ways – often in ways we are not ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: In an age of instant gratification, few people understand the term “longing for God.” Is this a reason why so few people don’t go to church anymore; there’s no longing for God because we can fulfill all of our desires instantly? – L.G.

A: Longing means that a person is unsatisfied or ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is it true that God uses people more when they’ve been through the fire of difficulties and despair? – T.F.

A: Consider the transformation in Simon Peter. He denied Christ. He was cowed by the crowd, shamed by a little maid, and took his place with the enemies of Christ. This was Peter who ...Read more

The mission statement of the God Squad is that we know enough about how we are different and not enough yet about how we are all the same. I realize that I have been spending too much time writing about how we are different and not enough about how we are the same so let us begin our exaltation of sameness with the Golden Rule.

Q: You have ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: What does it mean to surrender ourselves to the Lord? I am a Christian but I’m still a person with ambition and goals to attain. I doubt that the Lord expects us to give up our dreams. – S.A.

A: The hymnist J.W. Van DeVenter, who wrote “I Surrender All,” was not always a minister. His first...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Entertainment about dying and going to Heaven and coming back and telling breathtaking stories are popular. It’s a distraction from reality. The other horror that has been popularized is that Hell will be an eternal happy hour – fantasies that my kids are believing because of cultural ...Read more

COLUMBIA, S.C. — “It’s an eggs-ellent day,” Pastor John Ptak said as an orderly line formed and a light drizzle fell outside the White Knoll, South Carolina, campus of Radius Church on Thursday morning.

People lined up early for free eggs, handed out by the dozen at the weekly food pantry operated by the church.

When they heard of the ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My parents didn’t have much time for us children but they did provide for us lavishly. I want to be successful like they have been – traveling the world, attending parties – but I can’t hide the fact that my siblings and I really don’t like being around them. I don’t want to just feed my...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My job was eliminated and I was given the chance to work in another position reporting to a person I hired and trained. I left the company pretty mad. This was unfair and unjust. I’m not happy with how I’m handling it, but I would have been more miserable if I had stayed under such humiliating ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Why do people always point to the suffering of Job as a reason for sickness and hard times? – J.P.

A: The book of Job does not set out to answer the problem of suffering but to proclaim a God so great that no answer is needed.

God’s proving ground comes when trouble hits and the evil motives ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: We’ve become a nation overcome by fear and danger. Our cities are no longer safe. Why is it so hard to straighten out the messes people create? – F.W.

A: Lawlessness is not confined to the city streets. Most law enforcement officers say the most dangerous calls are those related to domestic ...Read more

Thomas Wenski, the archbishop of Miami, has been working with immigrants in Miami for going on 50 years.

His flock is worried. Although thousands of recent immigrants in his Catholic archdiocese are here legally, many know people who are not. Florida is home to some 1.2 million people who are in the country illegally.

Some of Wenski’s ...Read more

In an interfaith column like The God Squad, it is easy to scoop up sectarian holidays and learn from their wisdom. Passover, Chanukah, Easter, Christmas, Diwali, Ramadan, Vesak all have much to teach us about the way sacred time intersects with secular time. However, the sacred calendar does not have ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is it true that there will be no darkness in Heaven? If so, why is darkness so bad? – D.B.

A: There will be no darkness in Heaven. The Bible says, “The city [of God] does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp … for there ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: There is an attack on the Pledge of Allegiance in America and it has all but disappeared from the classroom. People say that pledging is deceitful because we can’t make promises we can’t keep. What a terrible thing to teach our children. Isn’t our faith in God also a pledge of sorts? – P.A. ...Read more

Twenty-seven organizations representing Jewish and Christian-based denominations filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s administration, asking a judge to prevent immigration enforcement actions in houses of worship.

As part of the administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, the Department of Homeland ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Why doesn’t God just come down and take over? People have already proven we are not equipped to handle the problems of being human. I’m ready for a new world order but not anything man can come up with! We’ve lost our sense of true democracy and liberty. – I.D.

A: The government in God’s ...Read more