There has been a sharp rise in the volume and quality of Christian relics offered for sale on eBay recently. During the last two centuries, many monasteries, convents, religious houses, and even churches have shut their doors. The very oldest institutions often have relics to 'get off the books'.

Dear Friends in Christ,

As I walked through the Garden of Gethsemane last week, I was weary. Full days and nights of meeting with church partners and others in Israel-Palestine had meant moving daily among armed soldiers, through checkpoints, sitting and listening to apprehensions, deep longings for peace and justice, and courageous work. I felt both full and empty.