By Larry J. Walker

Pastor, United Church of God, Bend

"I have lost my son. My God, what did we do wrong to lose him?"

These are the words of Vijay Kumar, a grieving father whose 3-year old son was swept from his arms by the raging waters of the tsunami as it roared ashore, taking a horrendous toll of lives throughout Asia. Many victims were women and children unable to flee the wall of water as it swept them up in its fury. Millions remain in shock and grief, their families torn asunder by this massive disaster.

What would you say to Kumar? His words are more of an expression of profound sorrow and heartache than a question demanding a logical answer. What he and other victims need most at this time is comfort, understanding and compassion as well as assistance to put their shattered lives back to some semblance of normality.

By Larry J. Walker

Pastor, United Church of God, Bend

Every year at this time many newspapers, including The Bulletin, contain articles about the celebration of annual Holy Days by members of the Jewish Community. So the names Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) are probably somewhat familiar to many readers. What might come as a surprise is that these days are not exclusive to the Jewish religion. Many Christians celebrate these and other days that are usually considered to be exclusively Jewish. What might be even more surprising is the fact that these Holy Days predate the beginning of the Jewish nation.

by Larry J. Walker

Pastor, United Church of God, Bend

Did you read the article about Halloween on the religion page of the October 16 issue of the Bulletin? If so, what was your reaction? If not, allow me to summarize. The main point of the article, titled “For some, marking Halloween on Sunday is frightful,” is that Halloween should not be celebrated on Sunday. One lady said, “It’s a day for the Good Lord, not the devil.” So since Halloween falls on Sunday this year, she plans to send her daughter trick-or-treating on Saturday instead.

Another lady added, “You just don’t do it on Sunday. That’s Christ’s day. You go to church on Sunday, you don’t go out and celebrate the devil. That will confuse the child.”

By Larry J. Walker

Pastor, United Church of God, Bend

Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” has become a record shattering blockbuster movie, to the chagrin of many media moguls and others eager to promote values (or lack thereof) and lifestyles contrary to the Bible. Some have even expressed their hostility by openly stating their refusal to ever offer him any future movie roles. Even within the Christian community, criticisms of the movie often reflect widespread misunderstandings about the controversial figure of Jesus Christ.

Question—what does Judge Moore’s Ten Commandments monument have in common with a Christmas tree? Answer—they are both religious symbols. Next question—so why was the monument removed when Christmas trees abound in schools and governmental buildings?

Click here to read commentary: "Separation of Church and State" Is Not Uniformly Applied