Drew Downs
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Civility
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4 min read
When a fresh outrage comes, we sharpen knives and loosen vocal cords for the usual conversation around civility, asking as always “why can’t we just get along?” as if this were the whole problem. It isn’t. There’s a lot of talk about civility right now. Whether it’s a conversation on Facebook or serving a public…
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Our Do Unto Others Problem
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7 min read
We have a do-unto-others problem. You know, like from the Golden Rule. The one that says we treat each other well. The one that undermines our convictions around immigration. That one. The Golden Rule is ubiquitous. We all know it or some form of it. The phrasing which jumped into my head first is this:…
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The Back of the Boat
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8 min read
In the stilling of the storm in Mark 4:35-41, Jesus opens the disciples to the frightening possibility that they were wrong. And it reminds us that Jesus has the same message for us. “Peace. Be still!” The fear Jesus gets his disciples to face is not the storm. It’s change. Proper 7B | Mark 4:35-41…
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We Are More Than Our Kings
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9 min read
In 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13, we find a grieving Saul and a grieving God searching for a new king. Even though God still doesn’t want the people to have a king; even as there is a king still on the throne. Even with our lust for power, we’re still driven to love. Proper 6B | 1…
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Why I Confess – Empire
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12 min read
Confronting the truth about our people is hard. Especially when the truth is about the evil of empire, oppression, and persecution. But that’s no excuse to avoid or deflect–we must engage with it. Arrogance and dealing with the enduring terror of empire “Anglicans persecuted everybody.” I felt my body squirm. The hairs on the back…
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Making Home
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8 min read
Jesus’s return home in Mark reminds me of the movie musical, The Greatest Showman. God’s dream is made, not by or for the powerful, but by the misfits for all of us. And for it to work, we must all have a part to play. Jesus and “The Greatest Showman” Proper 5B | Mark 3:20-35…