In the wake of the school shooting in Florida, social media is flooded (again) with memes, posts, articles, and factoids for or against guns. Personally, I see guns as one of many social scapegoats. A gun is a neutral thing, not intrinsically good or bad. It can only be as good or bad as the…
Category: Social Issues
Impossible People: Os Guinness
Recently, a group at church decided to read Impossible People by Os Guinness. I didn’t need a lot of convincing. Some liken him to C.S. Lewis because of his intellectual clarity on matters of faith. That sold me. Impossible People examines modernity’s challenge to Christian faith, a challenge Guinness believes is the most significant ever…
The Nativity Within
I had the following article published in the religion column of our local paper last weekend. My original title was “The Nativity Within” but the paper re-titled it for whatever reason. The important thing is that I got to share Jesus! *** Happy New Year! I hope everyone is enjoying the shiny, new gifts they…
Social Bulimia
In August, Seattle’s mayor called for the removal of two statues: one, a confederate monument, the other a statue of Lenin. This followed the decision of officials in Charlottesville, Virginia, to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee and the destruction of a confederate soldier statue in Durham, North Carolina. The latest fad has been…
I’ve Been Thinking…
In light of the socio-political climate in America, the following verses have been on my mind: You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…
Whose Side Are You On, Anyway?
Art by Patrick Murphy Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now…
Patrick the Slave
From his brief autobiography we learn that…the Irish, then called Scots, began swooping down on the English coast, sailing up the rivers, raiding the settlements, and carrying off plunder and slaves. Among the captives was Patrick. So Ireland’s patron saint was not Irish! He had been reared a Christian. His father was a deacon, but…
Two Cities, One Gospel: Christ and Revolution
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….” This unforgettable phrase opens Dickens’s novel A Tale of Two Cities. Set in England and Paris, A Tale of Two Cities takes place just as the French Revolution gets going. On one side are the French commoners. They are enraged by the economic…
Does Love Trump Hate…of Trump?
It wouldn’t surprise me if Donald Trump’s first two weeks as president coincided with a global rise in stomach ulcers. News outlets and social media are a minefield of opinions and denouncements. Love trumps hate, they say. But I’m not sure love trumps hate of Trump. I’m not here to defend Trump. He’s a big…
Purpose and Politics
Many know I’m not crazy about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. During the campaign season, my mantra was, “I’m afraid it’ll come down to Trump and Clinton.” See kids, nightmares can come true. Just keep believing 😉 Now that we’re past all hope of not electing Trump or Clinton, I pray for Trump and our…
Bah! Humbug!
It’s Christmastime again. Besides music, colored lights, trees sprouting indoors, and avalanching sweets, there’s another cue to the season: snide comments about commercialism. Commercialism is a real problem. I don’t deny that. Humanity’s loyalty has long been divided between God and mammon (Matt. 6:24). As they say, nothing is sacred. Consumption and material…
(In)Fidel Castro
Since his death last week, there has been no shortage of fawning news articles about Fidel Castro. (And no, these weren’t Cuban news articles. They were American). I had the distinct displeasure of reading two of them recently. One opened by calling Castro a fiery apostle of revolution. The other went on and on…
