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Continue reading →: Faith That’s Skin DeepOne of the things that strikes me about so-called Christian Nationalism is its shallowness. There seems to be little evidence of an interior life, or even basic self-reflection. Jesus was far more concerned with the transformation of the heart than with performance for the crowds—yet where is that emphasis here?…
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Continue reading →: Before we trust a leader, look for thisMaybe I am reading things wrong, but when I read the New Testament the main criteria for leadership seems to be character. Not sex. Not race. Not class. Not even charisma. Paul himself admitted he was not a great speaker. And yet character seems to be the quality that many…
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Continue reading →: Why Is the Ark’s Cover Called the Mercy Seat?This morning I found myself wondering why the cover for the Ark of the Covenant is referred to in some translations as the “mercy seat.” The phrase is memorable, but what caught my attention is that not all translations use it. Some speak of an atonement cover, while others simply…
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Continue reading →: How Neglecting Eschatology can Create Problems for PrayerI find that one of the consequences of neglecting eschatology is the persistence of false expectations about God and about how the wrongs of this world will be made right. People pray, and when their prayers aren’t immediately answered, they conclude that God is either unable or unwilling to do…
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Continue reading →: Why Complaining About Injustice Online Isn’t Enough for ChristiansWhen we see injustice in the world, it is natural to feel anger. In fact, the Bible shows that anger at injustice can be a proper response. The prophets were angry when they saw the vulnerable being exploited. Jesus himself showed anger when he saw the temple turned into a…
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Continue reading →: Do you know how many Christians live in Iran?As missiles from the United States and Israel rain down on Iran, I find myself asking a simple question: how many Christians live there? Estimates vary widely. Official census figures suggest roughly 117,000. Independent surveys estimate anywhere from 500,000 to over a million. Even at the lowest estimate, that is…
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Continue reading →: Bhagavad Gita and the Bible: A Christian ReflectionThe Bhagavad Gita is a small book set inside a very large story — the epic of the Mahabharata. It opens not in a temple or monastery, but on a battlefield. Arjuna, a warrior, is paralysed by moral anguish at the thought of fighting his own kin. In response, Krishna…
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Continue reading →: For Such a Time as This: The Courage of Esther and FrodoI was reflecting on the story of Esther this afternoon when I was reminded of Gandalf’s advice to Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. In the biblical story, Esther faced a moment that could cost her life, yet Mordecai reminded her that she may have been placed “for such…
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Continue reading →: How Do You Keep Faith When the Church Disappoints You?There is a lot of negative stuff going on in the world today, and in the church. If we focus only on what is wrong, it can quickly become disheartening. I am sure many of us have been there at some point. I know I have. That is why I…
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Continue reading →: Should Our View of Humanity Shape Our Understanding of God?Some weeks ago I encountered a guy who insisted our understanding of the Trinity needs to be grounded in our understanding of humanity from Genesis 1–3. I suspect he’d been influenced by Grudem. Whether he was or not, he made the same move of projecting patriarchy into the heavens, insisting…
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