Christmas hope
As we said goodbye to 2020, most of us were looking at a holiday season that was darker and lonelier than usual, without many of the comforts and joys we’ve come to assoc... »
Editor’s Introduction
The king and the philosopher
Cineas was an ancient Greek politician and a friend of King Pyrrhus of Epirus, considered one of the greatest generals in antiquity. After spending decades securing his o... »
The best investment
Some time ago, I came across a quote that was attributed to Confucius, and it fits with this issue’s topic of investing in people and the importance of learning: “If your... »
The search for truth
As Jesus traveled throughout Palestine sharing His message of God’s forgiveness and love, “Follow me” was an invitation He often extended. For example, this passage in Ma... »
A different kind of wealth
The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was business magnate John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937). He first became a millionaire when he was only 23, and he w... »
Step by step
A well-known story tells of a man who was walking along a beach at sunset and noticed a young boy in the distance who kept bending down, picking something up, and throwin... »
A changeless God in a changing world
One thing that seems set in stone is that most things don’t stay the same over time. Many people are conflicted about that. On the one hand, you have people who are eager... »
A love story
In the Bible, God often uses metaphors or word pictures to describe our relationship with Him; for example, a shepherd and sheep, a father and child, a vine and branches—... »
Why suffering
Most people try not to think about it more than they have to, but there's no denying it: There's a lot of suffering in the world. Innocents are killed, maimed, and made h... »
Looking back, looking ahead
In years past, Activated has occasionally featured articles describing little ceremonies the contributors participated in around the turn of the New Year. For example, fr... »
The presence
Throughout the Old Testament, God’s kindness and mercy flows through the text, like this verse in the Psalms: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abou... »