When Jesus walked into the Temple complex and saw a teeming market, filled with sheep and doves and graft and corruption, Jesus knew He couldn’t walk past. “Should I stand by while they turn my Father’s house into a place of thievery?” he says. The answer, of course, is no.

And so the tables are literally turned. Money tumbles onto the cobblestones. Sheep make a quick getaway while they can. And members of the Sanhedrin look on, glowering.

“This is a place of worship!” Jesus shouts.

Peter loves his Master. But this bold move, in full view of Jerusalem’s religious authorities? It makes Peter nervous.

John stands beside Peter, beaming. “This is a good thing,” he reassures Peter. High time someone cleansed the Temple. High time someone took on the corrupt and craven elements in the Almighty’s house.

 Judas watches as a stray coin rolls by his feet. He steps on a piece of silver—as if to hide it—then quickly bends down and picks it off the stone, happy to add it to the disciples’ small coffers.

Or, perhaps, his own.

Jesus’ act is audacious. Impulsive. One more affront to the religious establishment. One more blemish on Jesus’ record. But it’s far from the worst offense: Already, word has reached Caiaphas, leader of the Jewish Sanhedrin, that Jesus has been making outrageous, blasphemous claims about being the Son of God. Unsubstantiated hearsay, Caiaphas realizes—for now. But such abhorrent allegations cannot go unchallenged.

If Jesus insists on turning over tables, then Jesus Himself must be turned over to the authorities. His claims must be investigated. And if deemed fact, this Jesus must die.

But while Caiaphas and his cadre of priests hope to bring a quick end to Jesus’ affrontery, only Jesus understands that His work, in many ways, is just beginning.

Forget flipping over a few tables: Christ means to turn the world itself on its ear.

The post The Last Supper appeared first on Plugged In.

Growing up in Afghanistan, the educational opportunities afforded to her were very different than those of her male peers. For example, when her school acquired two hand-me-down computers, Roya and the other girls in her class were dismissed—forced to wait outside their classroom while the teacher instructed the boys in this new technology.

Situations like that were the norm, not the exception, for Roya. Girls were barred from learning subjects such as math, science and technology. In her culture, women’s education was an afterthought, at best. Many considered it shameful and actively sought to suppress teaching girls such skills.

But that opposition did nothing to quash Roya’s desire to learn. And learn, she did.

From humble origins fumbling through Windows XP in a local café to founding the first female-owned software company in Afghanistan years later, Roya faced and overcame adversity at every turn.

Years later, the Afghan culture remains closed to the idea of women being well-educated and working outside the home. Roya is understandably frustrated. What good is it to blaze a trail that no one can follow?

So, she starts offering computer classes for girls. The classes are successful, and the girls who attend learn valuable skills. Still, Roya sees their impact as merely a drop in a bucket. She’s been trying to demonstrate to Afghanistan the value women can offer as engineers and innovators, but her country has been slow to see.

She’ll have to show the world instead. But how? Roya has a plan: Form an Afghan all-girls robotics team to compete in events around the globe. “It will show our girls in a new light,” she tells her brother, Ali.

He expresses his doubts—no one from Afghanistan has ever done something like this, after all. Roya is undeterred, reminding her brother that “nothing ever happened unless someone dreamed it first.”

And so, Roya and Ali set out to find the most mechanically gifted girls they can recruit to the robotics team. Turns out, finding the girls is the easy part. It’s everything else that’s hard.

Good thing Roya has experience overcoming adversity. She—and her team—are going to need it.

The post Rule Breakers appeared first on Plugged In.

The communists said they hoped for that, too. And part of their vision—rooted in the atheistic ethos of communism—was to “re-educate” all religious citizens in antireligious campaigns.

It’s why they pull a pregnant Neng from her teaching job for questioning. She’s married a man from the British colony of Hong Kong, and her parents sent her to Christian schools for education, so they’re concerned about her commitment to Mao’s vision for China.

Neng adamantly tells them that, though she may have gotten swept up in a Christian bandwagon when she was younger, she grew out of her beliefs as she got older.

But as she thinks about those beliefs she had had as a child, Neng begins to realize that, though distant, perhaps she still does believe in the Christian God.

“Are you a Christian?” A government official demands.

Slowly, the thoughts in her head racing, Neng opens her mouth to respond.

The post China Cry: A True Story appeared first on Plugged In.

A rabbit was the first to go. Enraptured by the sight of the tiny purple meteorite, which had just crashed into its enclosure, the bunny took a bite. It wasn’t long before the once adorable critter transformed into a fanged, gummy-like zombie. And with one bite with those sharp teeth, other animals at Colepepper Zoo transformed, too.

The chicks and sheep went next.

Down went the goats.

Then, they came for the monkeys.

Pretty soon, the whole zoo was gone—save for a wolf, mountain lion, capybara, ostrich, lemur and proboscis monkey.

But the gummy zombies are coming for them, too.

The post Night of the Zoopocalypse appeared first on Plugged In.

And no, it wasn’t a long-lost relative or a neighbor from down the lane asking for a cup of sugar. This was a messenger from God, an honest-to-goodness angel. And the angel came with news: The young woman would give birth to a son.

It was surprising and seemingly impossible news, considering that the young woman was a virgin.

But in time, the woman did miraculously become pregnant. She traveled to Bethlehem with her new husband. There was no room for them in the inn, so they had to stay among the animals. And that is where the virgin gave birth to her son.

It’s the beginning of an incredible story—some would say the greatest story ever told. It’s a tale of miracles and wonder: more angelic visitations, supernatural healings and the ultimate sacrifice. The woman’s son grows into a man. But more than that, he is fully man and fully God. He lives a perfect, sinless life, preaching and teaching and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He is betrayed, killed and buried, but he rises to new life, conquering death and paving the way to eternal life for all who hope in him.

Maybe you’ve heard of this story.

It’s the account of Jesus of Nazareth.

The post The Jesus Film appeared first on Plugged In.

Perhaps it was inevitable. Because after generations of people are born and grow up in space colonies, it doesn’t seem fair that the blue planet with which they have no immediate connection gets to be in charge of how they live. That’s why some of the stronger colonies rebelled against the Earth Federation, calling themselves the Principality of Zeon and sparking a devastating year-long war. And as both sides gear up in giant robotic mobile suits armed with both guns and blades, billions of people perish.

If you’ve seen the original Mobile Suit Gundam movie, you know what happens next: a Zeon reconnaissance team begins attacking a Federation colony, while a teenage mechanic Amuro Ray climbs into the Federation’s newly prototyped RX-78 Gundam and saves the colony. His decision, ultimately, would help Earth win the war against Zeon, too.

Except, what if someone else got to it first?

That someone is Char Aznable, a soldier in that Zeon recon team and (in the original timeline) a major antagonist for Amuro. And after using the mobile suit to achieve victory, Char recognizes that these Gundam models are powerful. And, after reverse engineering the stolen tech, Zeon wins the war.

But independence doesn’t always look pretty, as high schooler Amate Yuzuriha may tell you. She’s living in a space colony independent from both the Federation and Zeon five years after the war’s end. It’s a world where police care little for civilians and few feel like their freedom means much of anything…especially when a Zeon ship appears in overhead.

It turns out, the ship was on a secret mission, hoping to find the location of Char and his Gundam. Both vanished at the close of the war following a strange explosion—before the Gundam suddenly reappeared near the colony and began attacking the Zeon ship. Moments later, colony police, who have donned mobile suits, engaged, too.

Zeon quickly deployed its newest Gundam model, codenamed GQuuuuuuX, in defense … but it wasn’t long before its inexperienced pilot came crashing down into the colony, bringing the battle directly onto Amate’s head. She had been busy learning how to pilot a mobile suit to engage in illegal-but-lucrative underground mech combat fights.

And, like Amuro Ray, Amate acted in desperation, jumping into the GQuuuuuuX pilot seat to escape from the battle. And though she’s likewise inexperienced, she suddenly feels a connection to the robot, one that allows her to control the mech with her willpower alone.

And it’s a connection that just may change her life for good.

The post Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginning appeared first on Plugged In.

Tectonic plates heave and push, birthing mountains in their wake. Foundations crack and buckle. Women and men bruise and bleed, fall and fail. We break so often that the word itself fills many a cliché. Bad break. Break a leg. Break my way.

To be human is to be broken. But some are more broken than others.

Austin knows plenty about bad breaks. He and the emergency room staff are on a first-name basis. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as brittle-bone disease, the 13-year-old boy has had far more breaks than birthdays.

Oh, and he’s on the autism spectrum, too.

“Some kids who have autism can’t talk,” Austin tells us. “But I sure can!” And he’s not kidding. He’ll spend 15 minutes telling you why ice cream is just the best. He’ll quote practically an entire movie if the mood strikes. His zest for everything is unbridled. And while parents Scott and Teresa appreciate his enthusiasm, it can be a little—well, actually, a lot—exhausting.

Scott feels the pressure especially keenly. Every time he turns around, it seems, Austin takes a tumble that requires another rush to the emergency room. He struggles to connect to his always-full-bore son. “I feel like I’m failing every day,” he admits. “And the harder I try, the worse I do.”

He leans on his two buds to make the journey a little easier.

One is Joe, his easygoing sidekick who’s been with him since Scott was a kid. Sure, he’s an imaginary friend, but hey, at least it’s someone to talk with.

The other? Alcohol. A glass or two or seven really takes the edge off, y’know? He’ll drink a little with dinner. He might tell Teresa he’s working late while whittling away an hour or two at the local bar. And business trips? Those are the best. All his colleagues are pretty impressed with how he can drink steadily ‘til 2 a.m. and still make a dynamite business presentation at 8. Well, they’re impressed right up until Scott loses his job, that is.

We’re all broken. Austin has broken dozens of bones, each of which has knitted together quite nicely. But some breaks are harder to see, and harder to heal.

And sometimes the hardest part is knowing you’re broken at all.

[Warning: Spoilers are contained in the following sections.]

The post The Unbreakable Boy appeared first on Plugged In.

Her father, Simba, has temporarily left to be with Nala, her mother, as she prepares to give birth. And sure, she’s got Timon, Pumbaa and Rafiki to look after her while Simba’s away, but that approaching storm makes her tremble even more.

That’s why Rafiki sits her down to tell her the story of another scared cub who overcame his fear and became the lion king: her grandfather, Mufasa.

Yes, Mufasa was also terrified when that flash flood swept him away from his parents and into a foreign land. But he found a brother in Taka, the cub who pulled him from the water and helped Mufasa find acceptance in a new pride.

Taka is royal blood, son of King Obasi. And he’s ecstatic to finally have a brother with whom he can grow old. And one day, when Taka is king, he and Mufasa can rule over all the creatures of the land.

But the truth is … Taka is no leader. He is a coward, which is why he fled when outsider lions ambushed his mother.

The lions are led by Kiros, a fierce, white-coated feline who has slaughtered his way through the lands to crown himself the lion king—and he’s soon to arrive at Taka’s pride. That’s why Taka and Mufasa are commanded by King Obasi to flee to order to preserve the royal bloodline. They take off, hoping to take refuge in the far-off Milele, a mythical land of peace and prosperity.

But something nags at Taka. Because as they journey, he can’t help but see the animals they encounter along the way look at Mufasa as leader, not at him. They admire Mufasa’s traits, not his.

Isn’t Taka the one who’s supposed to rule?

The post Mufasa: The Lion King appeared first on Plugged In.

However, young Josh Dennis isn’t exactly thinking of finding anything valuable in the mine’s ink-black tunnels. The only thing on his mind is something treasured that he hopes not to lose: his life.

His current situation is all his fault, in a way. When his dad brought him up here to camp nearby and to explore the mine with some other boys and adults, Josh was, well, really nervous. He felt so small compared to the older boys. So inexperienced, so timid. He just couldn’t shake those anxious feelings.

His dad was really cool about it, though. He saw Josh’s fear and sent the others off to explore while they stayed behind and set up camp. His dad smiled. He encouraged.

Josh knew his father wanted to join in with the others. He wanted Josh to stretch. But Josh also sensed Dad’s disappointment.

So, when the gang all came back for a meal, Josh told his dad he wanted to join in and explore the old mine with the rest of them. They were only going to search the maze-like mine tunnels for a few hours before bed. He could handle that. He’d hang at the back, stay out of everybody’s way.

But those tunnels were very, very dark. Without flashlights, you were completely blind. And, being a nice guy, Josh had given his flashlight to an older kid whose bulb burned out.  

Then he lost the group.

One moment, they were right in front of him, flashlights shining this way and that, excited voices talking about tunnels and treasures. And then … they were gone. He could hear the noisy group. But when he called out, they couldn’t hear him. He kept moving, feeling his way along, but the sounds only got farther and farther away. Did he take the wrong tunnel? Should he turn around?

That was, what, a day ago, Josh figures. At first, he had the light from his wristwatch to help him along. But after a while, that died out. Now he’s here, on the edge of what he’s sure is a high ledge. It’s so, so dark. And he’s afraid to move.

All Josh can do is pray and listen for any sounds of rescue. Surely somebody is searching for him, right? But he hasn’t heard anything. Not a sound. He just keeps thinking about the Bible’s story about a mustard seed. Even a mustard seed worth of faith can move a mountain, Jesus said. He has at least that much faith, he reckons. He can pray. Listen. Wait.

What Josh doesn’t realize is that the search has indeed been going full steam. When they discovered him missing, the campers rushed back in to search. Then they brought in the police. Then they brought in a professional search team.

But despite the team’s diligence, mapping miles of tunnels, marking every turn, every route, they found nothing. Heard nothing.

As they enter into day three, the efforts are looking pretty bleak. Even a search dog comes up empty. The local sheriff is pretty sure how this will end. He takes off his cowboy hat and wipes his brow. He’ll need to figure out the right words for Josh’s anguished parents.

Oh, and there’s also a guy named John Skinner who’s at war with himself. Several nights back he had been camping alone in the woods of Montana and distinctly heard a whisper in his ear. He startled awake at the words: Help them see.

Help who? he thought. See what?

John wonders what he can possibly do to help someone, somewhere, see something! But the whispers won’t stop.

Any outside observer would likely think it’s impossible to make all of these disparate things work together for the good of one lost boy in a maze of blackness. Especially since precious time is ticking quickly by.

Young Josh, however, continues to cling to his mustard seed of faith.

The post Faith of Angels appeared first on Plugged In.

Claressa Shields has the fire inside … but her dream to become an Olympic gold medalist in boxing won’t be easy.

When Claressa first expressed an interest in boxing, everyone told her, “No.” Girls don’t box, they’d say. It’s a man’s sport.

Claressa refused to listen. Instead, she showed up at the gym every day. That a feat in and of itself, since she lived some distance away and didn’t have any transportation beyond her own two feet. And she kept practicing until Jason Crutchfield, the volunteer boxing coach, finally agreed to teach her.

It’s been a long and arduous journey. Along the way, Claressa gets kicked out of her mother’s house. She goes through a tough breakup with her boyfriend and longtime sparring partner to focus on her task. Her younger sister gets pregnant.  And her absentee father shows up to stir the pot.

But all of her hard work is finally going to pay off. Claressa just needs to win her next few fights in Shanghai, China, and she’ll qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Unfortunately, as Claressa soon learns, if you want your dreams to come true, it may not be enough just to be the best.

The post The Fire Inside appeared first on Plugged In.