Friday, September 13, 2019
What the psalmist means by “safe” probably isn’t the same as our notion of it. We like to snuggle into our safe life, one without tremendous risk of injury (physical or emotional). We pray for our loved ones to be safe from all harm. But following Jes….(View...
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Every generation is confronted with the tension between short-term gains and God’s long-term plan, between the will to power and the will to love. Today, we see Ahab turn his back on God to worship another god, Baal, because doing so represents the path of least...
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
We live in a world that is, in some very real ways, infected by evil. From genocides and wars to racism and other forms of discrimination, evil snakes in and around us in insidious, awful ways. But thanks be to Jesus, we do not have to be slaves to evil...
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
The first time I really looked into my spouse’s eyes, I was smitten. I wanted to ask for a kiss, but I was too afraid. We are often more frightened by the possibility of something good happening than the certainty of something bad. It’s the same feeling that leads us...
Monday, September 9, 2019
At a certain point in my life, I came to realize that being wholly responsible for myself was not working out. I was broken, and the weight of my brokenness was overwhelming. Though my physical health was sound, I was in need of healing. I suspect that...
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Like many people, I struggle to live outside my own head. I find it easier to accept what the church teaches about Jesus than to make those ideas physically manifest in my life. Following Jesus and doing what he does takes a lot more effort than merely admiring him or...
Saturday, September 7, 2019
After two millennia, most Christians seem to have taken James’s advice to heart and have become very patient about the return of Jesus. I rarely encounter any real sense of urgency around mission or evangelism rooted in an imminent sense of Christ’s return. Without a...
Friday, September 6, 2019
When I was eleven, I was the target of a bully. I walked two miles out of my way to avoid going past his house on my way home from school. I withdrew from life and friends because I was afraid. Finally, with the support of adults who loved me, my bully problem was...
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Like the psalmist, we might proclaim that nice guys finish first, but many of us secretly harbor a preference for the rascals. We have aphorisms that reinforce this notion: If you can’t beat them, join them! You have to fight fire with fire. We say Everyone does it!...
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
“I hate you!” I could hardly believe the words spilling from my child’s mouth. How could someone so loved and cared for offer such unkindness? But I once said the same to my parents, and most parents I know have been on both ends of this dreaded interaction. We can...
