Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

  • 28. To repress our common need for the sake of personal piety is no lesser a sin of power when reformed. It is impossible to pin all of the Great Reformation on a moment. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses did not start or embody the Reformation in its totality. But they named a need unaddressed by the…

  • 27. Christians should be taught to love our creation and common space more than their own homes. The great theme of the Bible is God’s great reconciliation with the whole world. Not just people named Steve. From the beginning we see a constant focus on building a community of reconciliation, justice, and love: God creates…

  • 26. Christians should be taught to share supportive love generously while restricting selfishness. This should be a no-brainer. Should. If you stopped a random person on the street and asked them to talk about what a Christian is supposed to be, chances are this is what you’d hear. Christians are about generous love. But the problem…

  • 25. Christians should be taught that faith is both an internal and external commitment to love. The fundamental character of faith is love. Some of us talk about love and we often try to express love, but we rarely equate faith with love. We see love as living out our faith. Or we like to say that our faith inspires our love. But this…

  • 24. Christians should be taught that belief unused is unbelief and a damning of God’s generous mercy. Much of what passes for faith or Christian theology is not a profound truth, but a riddle. We aren’t being honest with each other or ourselves; we’re unwittingly playing a game of deception. What I mean by riddle…

  • 23. As, for instance: why would the pastor not empty hell for the sake of love rather than the hollowest of incantations? If love is what you’re about, then why not support love for the sake of love? Isn’t that what God is after? Why not place the redemption at the center of the faith and the…