The simplest questions have the deepest answers. And we’re at a stage in human history when enough thought lies behind us and around us that we feel paralyzed by all the perspectives. But thank goodness: Scripture offers us answers that don’t sacrifice depth for clarity. That doesn’t mean, however, that we’ll attain a God’s-eye view […]
I love getting into a long series, especially sci-fi dystopias such as The 100. But since I’m also a theologian, I tend to see elements of theology and faith where others might not. As I watch, I interpret. I enjoy, but I also analyze. Presenting my brief analysis here is what I’m calling “A Theology of the […]
It’s fascinating how much you can learn about secular culture when it’s not trying to express its beliefs. This comes out in films, TV series, and popular fiction, among other places. I guess that’s another piece of support for the argument that we’re most ourselves when no one’s looking. One theme that comes up repeatedly […]
So many moments of deep beauty in life seem to jump out and grab your hand when you aren’t paying attention. That’s why we’ll always need children. They aren’t afraid to clutch your fingers and pull you into the moment. That is what happened with the golden geese yesterday afternoon. I can’t believe I almost […]
It isn’t a coincidence that Christ was born at night. Not all light comes through our corneas. There is another kind of light, light of . . . hope. Christ in us is called “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). And Christ is also the light that shines in the darkness (John 1:5). Hope shines. […]
Do you remember the words of Isaiah, words from the mouth of God? “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isa. 1:18). From scarlet to snow . . . quite the transformation. How could one become the other? How can […]
Evil hardly ever works out the way we think it will. Evil enters the labyrinth of God’s providence like a blind man, feeling his way around the high cinder-block walls and unexpected turns. It exits when God wills, after it’s already served his purposes. But we don’t often see evil this way, or even believe […]
My eyes are getting worse. I remember it every year when I look at our Christmas tree, gleaming gold with little amber stars, singing its quiet anthem into the dark of the room. I stare at the tree every year without my glasses on as a reminder that the world is blurring with time. My […]
I hate conflict. And it’s not just a hatred that festers into frustration; it has bodily symptoms: a tightening throat, shortness of breath, increasing heart rate. I’m sure it’s related to my anxiety, but it appears to run deeper than that. It’s a Matthew 5:9 reaction, a visceral response to discord, a response that seems […]
August 19, 2021 My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, I know I am far from you, worlds away in a place where being called a “Christian” still lingers in parts of the country as a compliment. I know that for you, this title is a death sentence. I know that the word “execution,” […]