We all long to have the power to control our lives so that we may be free from physical and financial distress, from inconveniences to hurtful experiences. We long to control our bodies from sickness, our children from spiritual drift, and to safeguard ourselves from any possible danger.

We may not long for the power to control others, but we do in many respects long f...

In Shakespeare’s tragic tale, Hamlet seeks revenge against conniving his uncle, who has murdered Hamlet’s father (the king) to marry his mother and seize the crown. Hamlet declares, “The play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.” So he enlists a company of actors to perform a play about a murdered king in the royal court. The ...

When I was married, shortly after the turn of the twenty-first century, I was introduced to the life of a faithful marathon runner. My father-in-law, John, already had several marathons under his belt, and I was soon to witness the trials, triumphs, and tribulations he endured through many more races over the next several years. Week after week of endless training, soles of h...