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This blog is a collection of articles written by Times of Faith creator, Heather Ruth Pack.

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Showing posts from February, 2026

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What the Centurion Saw

February 23, 2026

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What the Centurion Saw Close your eyes for a second and picture Jesus on the cross. What do you see? Most likely, you imagined Jesus suspended up high so that his feet couldn’t touch the ground. You might have also imagined a group of people down below, mostly women, looking up at him and grieving. What if I were to tell you that probably isn’t how it happened? The actual scene most likely was very different—and much more terrifying. Roman crucifixions were meant to serve as a deterrence. They were carried out on main roads where the public walked by. It was Rome's way of saying, “Look what will happen to you if you don’t stick with the program.” Only high-status criminals were raised up high, not someone like Jesus. He most likely hung just a foot or two off the ground. This would have made him eye-level with his mother Mary, Martha, and all the others. Loved ones of the crucified would have been close enough to reach out and touch the one nailed to a tree. They could ...

Finding Jesus at the Border: A Fresh Look at the Ten Lepers - October 2025 Newsletter

Finding Jesus at the Border: A Fresh Look at the Ten Lepers Perhaps the nine lepers didn’t stay away because they weren’t grateful, but because they didn’t feel worthy. November is known for many challenges: NaNoWriMo, write a novel in 30 days; Movember, grow a moustache for men’s health; No-Shave November, no shaving to raise cancer awareness; and of course the 30-day gratitude challenge, where people post each day something they are grateful for. The last one can be bittersweet for our friends. It can serve as a painful reminder of what they don’t have. How can we approach November without unintentionally alienating those still struggling? I think the story of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11–19) can help. A Story About Gratitude? For years, I have been told the story of the ten lepers as a lesson about gratitude. Jesus healed ten lepers. Nine went their merry way, never to be seen again. Only one returned to thank Him. Jesus asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the ...

Making Room for Christ: A Tale of Two Innkeepers

On the first night of His life, there was no room for Him at the inn; on the last night, there was. I’m sure most of us have seen that cute nativity play where a young child dressed in a bathrobe says to the weary Mary and Joseph, “There’s no room at the inn.” Then, ever so sweetly, offers their barn for the Christ Child. I’m sure most of us also know that isn’t how it would have actually happened. Mary and Joseph weren’t looking for a room at a hotel or a lodge. They would have most likely been staying with family. The word kataluma in Greek is translated as upper room or guest room. It is also loosely translated as a lodging place or inn. Because of the Roman census, the kataluma in the home was most likely crowded—not a great place to give birth. For the sake of this article, I’m going to call the person who owned the home an “innkeeper;” however, I know it wasn’t someone who ran a Motel 6. What we normally don’t talk about is a second innkeeper—one who shows up ...

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