Painting: “Nebuchadnezzar” by William Blake “Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are…
Category: Social Issues
Seeker-Sensitive or Seeking to Save?
Recently, a friend sent me an article which criticized a high profile church. Some of the church’s current and former members are celebrities. The former celebrity members were interviewed in this bit of “investigative journalism.” (I use quotes because this was for some online rag. Not exactly Woodward and Bernstein). Those interviewed complained that the…
Two-Faced
Recently, I watched a documentary about young-earth creationism. For the uninitiated, young-earth creationists believe a literal reading of Genesis: creation took six days, and the earth is less than 10,000 years old. This is worlds apart from the common belief that life today resulted from billions of years of natural processes. I am far from…
Crosshairs
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…
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…
