By Darryl Tippens It was the women’s hats—those petite pillboxes and glorious half-hats crowned with floral clusters in pastels and whites and the softest creams—that gave it away every Easter. The men wore shiny new Oxfords and freshly pressed trousers, their bright ties catching the light. In every direction, our attire proclaimed: This is Easter! Outside, nature was saying the

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of articles highlighting inspirational women during Women’s History Month. Click on the links below for related stories: The Black Gazelle by Danny MintonMeet Virginia Henderson Yates by Marianne Wood By Darryl Tippens “I am sure that the old woman who lived in the little house at Golders Green, and was kind to the

By Darryl Tippens “There was no place for them in the inn.” I wonder about some elements of the Christmas story, details not found in the Gospels. Did Mary and Joseph deliver the baby themselves, or was a midwife called in? And what happened to the shepherds after that wild, glorious night of angelic singing in the skies? Did they

By Darryl Tippens I’ve been trying to get into the spirit of the season this year, and to be frank, it’s been difficult. The juxtaposition of the daily news—the tensions in our own country, but even more the pervasive scenes of suffering and death in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza set against the season’s cheerful carols—is jarring. Recently, while attending a

By DARRYL TIPPENS “It is important to remember the deep, in some ways anguished seriousness of Advent.”—Thomas Merton, Seasons of Celebrations A friend of mine endured a hair-raising escape from Tehran, Iran, one night in 1979. As the city fell to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Yasmin (let us call her) received an urgent call from the American embassy telling her