[First published on L!, January 28, 2013]

I’ve had opportunity to work overseas with many of Uncle Sam’s alphabet soup agencies (DEA, CIA, DOS, USAID, etc.) and have generally been underwhelmed by their lack of foreign language skills and understanding of the local culture. On the other hand they are filled with lot of really intelligent people with advanced degrees who speak and write English extremely well but seem to have little familiarity with making stuff happen. Nothing wrong with advanced degrees and such, but sometimes speaking fluent Spanish is more helpful in understanding why a Bolivian coca grower is not so keen on the alternative crop program. Maybe if our people understood the realities of his world, they would know that the buyers of coca leaves will ship his product to market. Potato buyers don’t.

Yes, even in Latin America our government representatives often fail to communicate – sometimes…

Greetings, ST, ‘Ettes, ‘Sieurs, and All!

Our exploration of St. Paul’s own growth in faith through his epistles/letters brings us once again to Corinth, in southern Greece about 50 miles from Athens. It offered access for trade through two major harbors, controlling trade routes to both Italy and Asia. This prosperity might seem to be the perfect seedbed for virtue. In Paul’s time, however, it had a cosmopolitan air and a reputation for a free-wheeling attitude toward accepted social/moral norms. Paul’s visits to Corinth – at least 3 of them – during his second missionary journey are mapped out by his sometime physician-companion, Luke in his Acts of the Apostles [15:36-18:22].

Paul had successfully founded two churches in Corinth, in tandem with his fellow evangelists (and tentmakers) Prisca/Priscilla and Aquila. Leaving the faith communities there in the capable hands of this committed believing couple, and a gifted Alexandrian convert in…