After the Flood – The Promise and Perils of Unity
Whether or not the nation can heal and unify, the church must. Jesus gives us no choice.
There is something that unifies each church. That something should be Jesus, of course, but there is usually also something else. And that something else will always try to displace our first union with Christ, becoming – in the words of Paul from the book of Galatians – another gospel instead. If our first union... Continue Reading
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Revisiting the Prophetic Work of Neil Postman
It’s pretty obvious that our digital age, in innumerable ways, aggravates our social and political distemper.
Postman’s analysis of technology is prophetic and profound. He warned of the trivializing of our media, defined by “broken time and broken attention,” in which “facts push other facts into and then out of consciousness at speeds that neither permit nor require evaluation.” He warned of “a neighborhood of strangers and pointless quantity.” That’s a... Continue Reading
Why Reflect on Creation? Answer: Because God Made Everything to Reflect Himself
Build well. Love what you create. Enjoy God’s gifts.
The cultivation of God’s good gifts whether through art, agriculture, horticulture, and much else then allow us to experience God’s goodness in creation. These experiences terminate in proximate ends since God will recreate the cosmos. Yet just as supporting our family today matters, even though we are adopted into the family of God, so cultivating creation... Continue Reading
Jesus the Truth-Teller
Does love, by which is meant acceptance and inclusion, obliterate truth?
Though Jesus was full of compassion, truth was the priority. While not indifferent to feelings, He interacted with others as one who knows that gospel truth alone is what saves. Truth, He taught, “will set you free” (John 8:32). Jesus’ mission was “to bear witness to the truth” (18:37). Sixty-six times in the New Testament the... Continue Reading
No Easy Answers
As Christians, we see in life’s complexity the beautiful power of the Gospel which we believe.
Our hunger for tweet-length solutions, for snackable, bite-sized redemption plans has collapsed our ability—both as a church and a nation—to build towards sustainable healing. This type of healing takes place over generations and centuries, yet we seem to prefer to patch things up with a flashy band-aid (perhaps one printed with our favorite superhero). Blame... Continue Reading
‘My Mind Is Made Up!’: The Dangers of a Closed Mind
A little bit of humility always goes a long way in the Christian life.
I too can easily get set in my ways and refuse to learn from others. But sadly with this fellow, I could not have any further discussions with him since he got upset and cut me off. It seems he was angry because he was being called out over his rather obvious double standards. All... Continue Reading
Your Citizenship Isn’t In America
Your saviour won’t sit in the White House, he sits on the great white throne.
So American Christians, if Joe Biden wins the election, do not grieve like those who have no hope in a saviour. And if Donald Trump wins the election, do not rejoice like those who have no hope in a saviour. American Christians, the presidential election shouldn’t make you forget your election in Christ. If... Continue Reading
Don’t Fall For It
Satan is one of the most cunning, crafty, and intelligent creatures.
The times are unstable and volatile. If we’re not careful, our focus will stay on the fires, fights, and division out there and we’ll miss the traps that have been set in here, closer to home, in our hearts. Satan is clever. He’s happy to distract you with global disturbances while he chips away at the foundations of... Continue Reading
Disabling Idolatry
Ableism is ungodly preferential treatment which exalts the able-bodied and dehumanizes the physically less capable.
As church buildings reopen (or stay open), it is tempting for relatively able-bodied folks, eager to exercise our religious and civic freedom, to claim the best seats in the house. But what of those who are physically unable to enter the assembly, or who are hesitant because health precautions are being ignored or boastfully defied?... Continue Reading
Where We Stand: How Church History Can Help, But Only So Far
I do not know how to get around Big Brother. But I do know that Big Brother will not win in the end.
So while there is certainly much we can gather from the wisdom of the past, I also wish to point out that our modern situation has its own unique aspects. I am somewhat concerned that many are content to think that the Scriptural paradigm “there is nothing new under the sun” actually means that nothing... Continue Reading
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