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With Unveiled Faces
Paul is not an anti-Semite. I think we should start there. When Paul argues that Moses put a veil over his face and all who hear him read are veiled: this should not be read as anti-semitic. Paul was Jewish. It is more like differentiation. While the other apostles were trying to figure out how…
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A word about mercy
Mercy is a gift to unburden a heavy soul, not an excuse to live without consequence. Considering all that we’re dealing with right now, we could use the reminder.
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Grace in the streets of Baltimore
We might think it strange that the most significant image of grace and protection is shown by the uniting factions of rival gangs. We might think that these purveyors of violence would never be our example, our witness to grace. Of course, we’d be ignorant of what gangs hope for. Ignorant of what the people need.…
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I’m Reevaluating the Cross
After listening to Tony Jones speak about his new book, Did God Kill Jesus on Homebrewed Christianity, I found myself being pushed into new territory in my faith. Partly because I probably am one of those progressive Christians who wants to sanitize the faith and take the blood out of it. I think there’s more…
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The Worth of Life
Bad News, Good News, and Life Itself As much as Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees for teaching harmful stuff to the people, Jesus is opening up the very nature of life and death to them: That, of course: what lies ahead is awful. Of course none of us wants to do this. And yes, I…
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The Servant God
A mother-in-law’s gratitude at odds with the public spectacle. Jesus leaves town, perhaps because of his notoriety, but perhaps also because the people are more interested in him, in the wonders that he has done, in the power that he possesses. And not in what GOD is calling him to actually do. Not in what…
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Preparing in Advent is not about shopping or avoiding Hell
Those of us who live in the north are reminded this time of year to put together an emergency kit. We put in a flashlight, hand warmers, something to kneel on, jumper cables, and more into a box that we keep in the trunk for the next few months. Because we never know when…
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Conan’s Inspiring Sendoff
I like Conan O’Brien. Certainly much more than Leno. And to be truly honest, Jimmy Fallon’s is the only “late show” I watch now. But these words, this send off to Conan’s last Tonight Show are prophetic. You should watch this. And if you have, then watch it again, because you need to hear them again.