Pay attention to the prophecy

  For he must reign until [God] has put all enemies under his feet.   As the last enemy, death will be brought to nothing –   1 Corinthians 15:25, 26   “Sister death painful and beautiful.   Sister death who free us from evil.   Sister death who bathes us in tears.   Sister death who enlighten us from heaven.   Sister death who dresses us as widows.   Sister death who takes us among the angels.   Sister death who lays gravestones.   Sister death who opens up eternity" - from the "Canticle of the Creatures" by Francis of Assisi Francis of Assisi called death his “sister” and one of the reasons it would be our sister is because it would be part of God's creation – compare Deuteronomy 30:19;   Ecclesiastes 3:11;   Matthew 22:32;   Hebrews 2:14 It would also be a "blessing" because, this song tells us, it "frees us from evil". It is true that for those who suffer greatly, death can be a liberation… but the question that any sentient being should ask i

  When Joseph saw his father lay his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was displeased and took his father's hand from Ephraim's head and placed it on Manasseh's head.   Joseph said to his father: «Not so, my father, because this is the firstborn;   put your right hand on his head.'   But his father refused him and said: “I know, my son, I know;   he too will become a people;   he too will be great;   nevertheless his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations” – Genesis 48:17-19 (New International Version) Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, born of an Egyptian named Asenat (or Aseneth), daughter of Potiphera who was an Egyptian priest - Genesis 41:50-52 The same names, Aseneth and Potiphera underline how much they were related to religion Egyptian   1   . So both Ephraim and Manasseh were born into a “mixed” family, so to speak, that is, not exclusively among True God worshippers. Nonetheless, Joseph considered both of

  But the brothers immediately, at night, made Paul and Silas leave for Berea;   and they, as soon as they arrived, went to the synagogue of the Jews.   Now these were of nobler feelings than those of Thessalonica, because they received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures every day to see if this was the case.   So many of them believed, and so did a great number of Greek noblewomen and men - Acts 17:10-12 New International Standard After a turbulent adolescence spent amidst insecurity and religious intolerance, I was finally able to examine a part of the Bible beyond the bad example of many clergymen and beyond my own prejudices - Proverbs 12:15;   2 Peter 2:1, 2 On the other hand, those people had been so kind, for the umpteenth time, despite my presumptuous and unsociable attitude… I just didn't feel like sending them away... not that time - Proverbs 18:13 At first I thought… “If I start studying the Bible with them for a while and then stop… they won't be