I’ve been listening to some historic lectures by one of my theological heroes, the Dutch theologian and apologist Cornelius Van Til. In one lecture, he has a wonderful explanation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). And I found his words particularly relevant for our broader secular culture, ever striving after self. The […]
In my latest book project, I’ve been studying and writing about how Jesus saw people. Jesus perceived a light in others (Matt. 9:10-13)—even in the darkest characters—that he went to brighten. He saw something in them worth redeeming. What was it? The short answer is the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). A Dense but Pressing Question But what does […]
I’m really struggling with David Powlison’s passing. I didn’t know him nearly as well as so many others did, but I had a few encounters with him that embossed themselves on my soul. One of them, in particular, has stayed with me whenever I think about what I’m writing. David was the first person to […]
Over the last several weeks, my mind has felt like a kite weighed down by a stone on a string. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about a friend with stage-four cancer, who probably doesn’t have much time left. As I walked out of the building where I work and stepped into the biting […]
Sometimes I think of people as little marbles making their way across a great wooden floor. Eventually, every marble slows to a halt. It loses momentum and just sits there. Until . . . another rolling marble comes from a different direction and collides with it, pushing it farther, helping it roll again, bringing it […]
I have written only once on why I think everyone is, in some sense, a theologian (“Everyone Is a Theologian”). Here, I’d like to spell out more specifically why I think that way. Let me start with a basic question: who are you? I’m not trying to be abstract. I’m just trying to get you to reflect […]
The boards on our front porch have taken a beating from the sun and rain. The western side, in particular, gets the worst of it. The steady eye of the sun draws them in and up, while the rain water pushes them down and away. In the end, the sun has the final word. The […]
I titled this website “Words for Theologians,” not realizing at the time that such a title could be exclusive to certain readers. So I wanted to take a few moments to convey one of my biblical convictions: everyone is a theologian. I am. You are. Your cousin is, and your mother and father, and every other […]