This is a heartfelt word to my Christian brothers and sisters. If you’re reading this, I consider you brave, because I’m finding few Christians who wish to consider whether their devotion to country could ever become unhealthy, much less evil. It’s inconceivable. So I thank you for giving me a 5-minute read. Below are …
Cory Asbury’s song, Reckless Love, has created quite a stir in describing God’s love as reckless. Reckless is a strong word, an adjective with the idea of “not thinking or caring about the consequences” (Oxford Dictionary). We think, perhaps, of reckless driving, which is both thoughtless and dangerous. Describing God’s love as reckless, for …
I’ve made the point that if a country that had no laws against—or punishment for—evils like child abuse, rape, murder or battering, that country couldn’t possibly be considered good or loving. Laws and punishment are a reflection of goodness and love. Similarly, God couldn’t possibly be loving if he had no laws against evil …
God is love, right? At least that’s a core claim of the Bible and Christians. But in the Bible’s pages, Jesus warned people that God would punish evil. Specifically, he warned people about hell as a punishment for evil. A loving God who condemns people to hell feels inconsistent, maybe even offensive. Some have …
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (The Bible, John 1:14, NIV) I was floored, God, when I got your request to help you move your son into …
The Bible’s Christmas narrative has a villain. An antagonist. A bad guy. And I’m not talking about the innkeeper. The bad guy is King Herod. The good guys are those wise men who traveled weeks to find Jesus. The good guys and the bad guy meet in Matthew, chapter 2: After Jesus was born …
Jesus said some wacky things. What they suggested was wackier still. Jesus said some things he had no business saying. Unless. You need that word unless. I have heard people say things they had no business saying…unless…well, unless one particular thing was true. In other words, you could only say what you just …
Why didn’t Jesus stay? I have been pondering that. God was born a man to bring his glorious light into our dark, broken, dying world. Walking our world, He announced, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John …
Jesus is a dear friend to losers. This is my great hope. I don’t know what the great throng expected to hear from the newly famous, miracle-working rabbi when they sat down on a mountainside and turned their heads into the slight breeze to hear him speak. I’m not sure they ever forgot …
It was a fascinating story to a 6-year old hearing it and seeing it with flannelgraph figures deftly positioned by the Sunday School teacher. Jesus takes a boy’s fish sandwich lunch and uses it to feed 5,000+ people. I never thought much about why Jesus fed some people who could have gone home and …