As a conflict avoider, I never dreamed of writing about cultural issues or movements in the public square. Being the English nerd that I am, I would’ve been much happier to curl up in a chair with some poetry, a heavy blanket, and a peaceful resolution to live a hermetic life. But God has a […]
Have you ever heard the adage, “Every day things change. But basically they stay the same”? The words first found my ears in the 1990s, in a song from the Dave Matthew’s Band. And I’d forgotten them until recently. Typically, these words suggest a sort of defeatism, a “stuckness” in our life experience. But they […]
Beliefs ripple. But we make a concerted effort to ignore that. Especially within the system of Christian faith, people can be tempted to pick and choose which doctrines they are “okay with” and which ones they leave behind. The problem lies in the ripples. Christians don’t always see how disbelief in one thing affects belief […]
There’s been a lot of talk about how AI will replace writers. The recent explosion of ChatGPT has just increased the volume of the voices. As a writer, and a former writing teacher who has studied language theory and written two books on the craft (forthcoming), I guess I’m in a good position to address […]
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 […]