Elections happened in the United States on November 3rd. Leading up to elections, passions ran high in all political camps. For some, their candidates won and their hopes were realized. Others are singing the election blues. For everyone, the election is over but the angst continues. Our ideologies are sleepless and are already planning for…
Category: Social Issues
Jack-o’-lanterns for Jesus
This is a post from years ago that has been on my mind since Hallowe’en is approaching *** Hallowe’en is a contraction derived from “All hallows even,” and marks the beginning of All Saints Day on November 1st. All Saints is a time of commemorating those who have died in the faith. Martin Luther chose…
Anchor and Bedrock
The following is an excerpt from my personal journal, written in June 2020. It’s raw in places but we’re all feeling a little raw so I thought it might encourage someone else. *** Today, coronavirus restrictions are in their 13th week. Protests and riots over the murder of George Floyd are going into their 3rd…
Same Song, Different Versus
America’s 2020 presidential election is right around the corner. The usual posturing, mud-slinging, glad-handing, and promising is heightened as some cities are plagued by protests and civil-unrest. This is to say nothing of coronavirus, which has killed about 180,000 Americans and could have our economy on a ventilator before long. All of this had my…
Silence Is…Golden
“Silence is Violence” “Silence is Compliance” These are among the slogans wielded by protesters following the killing of George Floyd. I’ve seen such signs in news coverage and my home town, where protests continue on a daily basis. I understand the anger surrounding Floyd’s death. No one should be murdered by an officer sworn to…
Yes, I Will Say His Name
Since the murder of George Floyd, American cities have experienced paroxysms of protests and riots. To date, three separate protests have happened where I live, which is saying something for our small town. Thankfully, they remained peaceful; some of our police participated, exchanged fist-bumps with protesters, and walked along to show support. Along with real…
Unshaken
“His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven. This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of what can be shaken…so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us…
Can’t Keep Us Down
In many places, gatherings of any size have been restricted to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). On Sunday, our church live-streamed our worship service for the first time ever. Many other churches did this as well, and I checked out portions of the other services in our community. It was fun to be…
King Virus
These days, it’s impossible to avoid hearing about coronavirus. Corona means “crown.” Recently, I found my mind drifting to the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6:2– “I looked, and there was a white horse. The horseman on it had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he went out as a victor…
A House of Prayer, Not Politics
I saw the sign pictured above outside a church the other day. It got me thinking—thinking about how easily Christianity is reduced to a set of political opinions. Sometimes, people allow faith to dictate their political views. But too often, I fear, it’s the other way around: political ideology defines the boundaries of faith. Religion…
