There’s a debate taking place right now, maybe you’ve noticed too because it has been impossible to ignore: #BlackLivesMatter followed closely behind by #AllLivesMatter followed recently by the #BlueLivesMatter push. This is my attempt to cut through the noise. Let me first acknowledge that I have little to no ability to claim experiential authority on this…
Following Jesus in an Evil World
A few months ago I chose a passage in Matthew 13 to speak on this past Sunday. The parable of the weeds highlights living with evil (righteousness and evil growing in the same soil), even though evil will, in the end, be thrown into the eternal fire. As events in Baton Rouge, then Minneapolis, then Dallas,…
Being Black
I don’t know what it’s like to be black in the United States. I’ve only ever been white, my whole life. Last night video showed a man dying in the seat of his car, having been shot by a police officer while he was grabbing his ID the officer asked for, having already identified his…
The Inept Empowerment of Self-Expression
I read a news headline a week ago that said “breastfeeding bride nurses during wedding ceremony, getting praise from moms around the world.” At first I thought, “great work from The Onion on that one.” But no, it’s real. I have no intention of having a debate about breastfeeding. I simply want to make the observation about…
The Danger of Likes (or why I joined Snapchat)
I joined Snapchat. There, I said it. I admit it. If you want proof, find me here. I joined Snapchat because I was sick of hearing people joining and loving it. I knew all the bad press, all the misuses of the app, but I decided to give it a shot. And I have to…
The Holy Spirit as Manifested Love
In his book The Face of the Deep, Paul Pastor makes a striking comparison between Isaiah’s unclean lips and the touching of the Spirit upon the mouths of those at Pentecost in Acts 2. I’ve only ever known emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost to divide Christians. At a Pentecost Sunday church gathering…