faith
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The Wrong Question
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6 min read
We describe hope with the futility of optimism or as the paragon which keeps us alive. Rarely do we talk about what hope really is. My son asked to play tennis with me. And let’s be honest, the couch was comfortable. I just sat down. But… I said “Sure, Buddy!” and turned to his sister…
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How doubt makes faith better
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9 min read
My autobiography is littered with the debris of doubt. It’s like doubt comes in uninvited and then leaves a trail of its presence, like unwashed sheets, stained coffee mugs, and the TV set to a channel I never watch. Everywhere there’s a piece of it, unescapable. I could also say My life is filled with…
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Centrism’s Flaw
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7 min read
How centrism is often a morally dubious position to hold. You argue with a friend and it’s getting heated. You’re feeling confident and they’re getting stubborn and you feel your throat tighten. You go outside of yourself and say wait a second. Your impulse is to chill out the conversation for the sake of the relationship.…
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You’ve heard the narratives about “what all Christians believe.” And you’ve heard many a high-profile pastor speak for all of Christians. He tells you precisely what we all believe, like we’re 3 billion cultists in the world with an identical worldview. We don’t all believe the same stuff. And yet this view of a singular…
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Bernie Sanders doesn’t care what you believe about hell. He does care if your beliefs demonize other people. This is the context in which Christian conservatives fell back to seeing persecutions everywhere. Often looking for persecutions precisely when asked to recognize their bias. At a recent confirmation hearing for Russell Vought who was nominated to become…
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Sharing Love
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8 min read
You’ve probably heard the story before. It’s told several ways, but often goes something like this. There was a man, living near the Mississippi River. He was a faithful man. He served on the church board and the evangelism team and was there every Sunday. One particular Sunday, the conversation at coffee hour was about…